Microsoft Enables Password-Free Account Sign In For Android And iOS Smartphone Users
Are you constantly trying to remember dozens of elusive passwords? Well, Microsoft has got your back. The company now enables password free sign-in for Android and iOS users when they sign-in to a new device.
Mobile device users can now add their account to a Android or iOS Microsoft Authenticator app. When a user signs in somewhere new, they will be prompted to enter their username. Users then will get a notification on their phone that their device is being accessed. The user till then tap “Approve” on their device in order to approve of the sign-in.
According to Microsoft, “This process is easier than standard two-step verification and significantly more secure than only a password, which can be forgotten, phished, or compromised.” The PINs and fingerprints that many users also add to their phone will simply add to this extra layer of password-free security
If you already utilize the Microsoft Authenticator, you will simply need to click on the drop-down button in the account tile, and choose “Enable phone sign-in”. Android users will be prompted to set-up the Microsoft Authenticator, while it will be automatically be set up on iPhones. If a user does not have their mobile device nearby, a link at the bottom of the confirmation page will let them choose to use a password instead. Users will also be able to switch between a password and Microsoft Authenticator.
Microsoft Authenticator does not currently work on Windows Phones. The company stated, “Windows Phone makes up <5% of the active users of our Authenticator Apps so we have prioritized getting this working with iOS and Android for now. If/When it becomes a big success on those high scale platforms, we will evaluate adding support for Windows Phone.”
Microsoft also recently received a patent for an iris scanner. The patented technology includes "liveness testing," which would be able to tell when there is a real eyeball staring into the camera and IR sensors. The company hopes to include this security-related technology on devices such as the HoloLens.
Mobile device users can now add their account to a Android or iOS Microsoft Authenticator app. When a user signs in somewhere new, they will be prompted to enter their username. Users then will get a notification on their phone that their device is being accessed. The user till then tap “Approve” on their device in order to approve of the sign-in.
According to Microsoft, “This process is easier than standard two-step verification and significantly more secure than only a password, which can be forgotten, phished, or compromised.” The PINs and fingerprints that many users also add to their phone will simply add to this extra layer of password-free security
If you already utilize the Microsoft Authenticator, you will simply need to click on the drop-down button in the account tile, and choose “Enable phone sign-in”. Android users will be prompted to set-up the Microsoft Authenticator, while it will be automatically be set up on iPhones. If a user does not have their mobile device nearby, a link at the bottom of the confirmation page will let them choose to use a password instead. Users will also be able to switch between a password and Microsoft Authenticator.
Microsoft Authenticator does not currently work on Windows Phones. The company stated, “Windows Phone makes up <5% of the active users of our Authenticator Apps so we have prioritized getting this working with iOS and Android for now. If/When it becomes a big success on those high scale platforms, we will evaluate adding support for Windows Phone.”
Microsoft also recently received a patent for an iris scanner. The patented technology includes "liveness testing," which would be able to tell when there is a real eyeball staring into the camera and IR sensors. The company hopes to include this security-related technology on devices such as the HoloLens.
