Microsoft Urges Entra ID Admins to Migrate Users from SMS Sign-In Before 2027 Retirement
Summary
Microsoft says it will retire SMS first-factor sign-in for Entra ID workforce tenants in February 2027 and urges admins to move users to alternatives such as passkeys, QR code authentication, or FIDO2 security keys.
Key points
- Microsoft plans to retire SMS first-factor sign-in for Entra ID workforce tenants in February 2027; the change does not apply to Azure AD B2C or Entra External ID customer identity scenarios.
- Microsoft says SMS and voice will no longer be available as native Entra authentication methods after the retirement.
- Admins are urged to prepare users to sign in with alternatives including passkeys, QR code authentication, or FIDO2 security keys.
- Microsoft is rolling out passkeys as the default Entra ID authentication experience; users enabled for SMS or voice may be prompted to register a passkey.
- Admins with specified directory roles can use the Entra SMS/Voice Policy Scanner PowerShell script to identify users relying on SMS or voice authentication.
- Organizations that still require phone-based authentication must configure third-party telecom providers.
Article Details
- Event Type
- Planned retirement of SMS first-factor sign-in for Microsoft Entra ID workforce tenants
- Impact
- Organizations using SMS first-factor sign-in must migrate users to supported alternatives before the retirement begins in February 2027. SMS and voice will no longer be available as native Microsoft Entra sign-in methods after the cutoff, which may disrupt sign-ins for users who have not transitioned. Microsoft recommends phishing-resistant methods such as passkeys, QR code authentication, and FIDO2 security keys.