FORGOTTEN YOUR PASSWORD?
Why it doesn’t matter anymore
Microsoft has added a useful new feature to its free Authenticator app for Android and IOS. It lets you log into any Microsoft website on your PC (including Outlook, Onedrive, Skype, Bing, Office, MSN and Sway)
without having to enter your password. We’ll show you how to set up the app. After doing this, you can log into any of these websites by simply tapping Approve on the app notification on your phone or tablet.
STEP 1
Install and open the app (Android www.snipca. com/24281; IOS www.snipca.com/24282), tap Add Account, ‘Personal account’, log into your Microsoft account, then tap ‘Sign in’. You now need to verify your account. By default, you’ll see a part of your phone number or alternative email address (whichever you added to your Microsoft account). If you added both, then in the dropdown menu select how you want to receive your verification information 1 . Next, enter your verification code in the box below 2 , then tap ‘Send code’ 3 . You’ll receive a seven-digit code via email or text message (depending on the method you chose).
STEP2
On the ‘Enter code’ screen, type the code into the field provided, tap Submit, then tap Got It. You’ll now see your Microsoft email address at the top. If you want to add another Microsoft account to the app, tap the three dots at the top right, tap ‘Add account’, then repeat this process. Now go to any Microsoft website on your PC, click ‘Sign in’, then type your email address. When you reach the password screen 1 , click the ‘Use the Microsoft Authenticator app instead’ link 2 . The first time you do this, you’ll see a two-digit number on your PC screen.
STEP3
Open the Authenticator app on your device, tap the same twodigit number, tap Approve, then OK. You’ll now log into the website on your PC. From now on, whenever you type your email address into any Microsoft website, you’ll see a message prompting you to approve it in the app 1 . Tick ‘Keep me signed in’ 2 if you want to do that. Now tap the app notification on your device to see two options: Approve and Deny. Tap Approve to log into that website on your PC. If you don’t have your phone with you, you can click ‘Use your password instead’ 3 .