Microsoft Authenticator

Business

8.1~~/10~~

Our score

★ 4.6 Google Play·100M+ installs

Reviewed by Editorial Team, ScoredApps editorial · updated 2026-09-05

Screenshots

Account list with Microsoft, Woodgrove, Figma and Discord entries

Angled account list showing six-digit codes beside each account

Lock screen notification asking to approve a sign-in

Approval prompt offering the numbers 54, 48 and 21

Account picker for single sign-on across work and school accounts

Verified Employee card issued by Woodgrove with name and photo

About Microsoft Authenticator

This approves sign-ins by asking you to tap one of three numbers rather than a single Approve button, holds 30-second codes for non-Microsoft accounts such as Discord or Figma, and stores organisation-issued Verified ID cards. It is free, with no advertising and no purchases, and collects almost nothing. Since August 2025 it no longer keeps passwords — that job moved to Microsoft Edge.

App information

DeveloperMicrosoft Corporation

Version6.2608.5658 (Android) · 6.8.54 (iOS)

Size60.9 MB (Android) · 234 MB (iOS)

Price / In-appFree

Contains adsNo

In-app purchasesNo

Content rating4+

Requires (Android)Android 8.0+

Requires (iOS)iOS 17.0+

Offline modeSix-digit codes generate offline; push approvals need a connection

Interface languagesAR, EU, BG, CA, HR, CS + 36 more

Store rating (Google Play)4.6 from 2,814,192 ratings

Installs100M+

Updated by developer2026-08-31

Data checked2026-09-07

Specs come from the official store listings and were last checked on 2026-09-07. Developers change pricing and requirements — check the store page before installing.

Microsoft Authenticator Review: Passwords Left in 2025

Number Matching Replaced the Approve Button

A push prompt no longer offers a single yes. It names the account, the country the attempt came from and the platform in use — United States on iOS, in the example shipped with the app — then shows three numbers, of which only the one displayed on the sign-in screen is correct. Tapping the wrong one, or Deny, ends the attempt. The design exists because approval fatigue was being exploited: attackers with a stolen password would fire prompts until somebody tapped through one. Accounts that use one-time codes instead get six digits refreshing every 30 seconds, listed at readable size.

Autofill Was Removed in Stages Through 2025

The password manager inside the app is gone, and the removal ran on a published schedule: warnings from May 2025, adding or importing passwords stopped in June, autofill switched off in July, and saved personal information became unreachable in mid-August. Passwords and addresses sync to the Microsoft account and remain available through Microsoft Edge, which the company names as the replacement, and can be exported from there as a CSV for another manager. Stored payment details were treated differently — deleted outright rather than migrated, for stated security reasons. Passkeys for work and school accounts stayed.

One Backup Location, and Almost Nothing Collected

Backup requires a personal Microsoft account, plus an iCloud account on iPhone, and stores only personal and non-Microsoft credentials: the username and the seed behind the verification code, with no emails or files attached. Work and school accounts using passwordless sign-in come back as names only, so each has to be signed into again on a new phone. Google Play's card is among the shortest in this catalogue — precise location collected, approximate location and other user-generated content shared — with no advertising and no in-app purchases against 100 million installs and 4.6 stars from 2.78 million reviews.

Pros

Number matching blocks an accidental tap on a prompt
Prompts name the country and platform requesting access
Holds 30-second codes for Discord, Figma and Instagram
No advertising, no purchases and a very short data card
Rated 4.7 on the App Store across 692,000 ratings

Cons

Password autofill was removed in stages during 2025
Stored payment details were deleted rather than migrated
Backup needs one personal Microsoft account and iCloud
Passwordless work accounts restore as names only

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Verdict

As a second factor it does the job better than most free rivals: number matching is genuinely safer than a yes button, the prompts say where a request came from, and the data card is close to empty. The reason it is not scored higher is what it stopped doing — a password manager withdrawn mid-2025, and a backup that leaves work accounts to be re-added by hand. Install it for the approvals, not for storage.

Core function7.0Approvals and codes are excellent; the dropped password manager and thin backup are not.

Ease of use8.5Three numbers and a tap; adding an account is a QR scan.

Monetisation9.5Free with no advertising, no purchases and no upsell inside the app.

Performance8.0Opens instantly and generates codes offline once accounts are added.

Privacy & permissions8.0Only precise location collected, which is unusually restrained for a Microsoft app.

8.1out of 10 · weighted average of the five scores above

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Frequently asked questions

Is Microsoft Authenticator free?

Completely. There is no advertising badge, no in-app purchase badge and no paid tier. It works with Microsoft accounts, work or school accounts, and any third-party service that supports standard one-time codes, at no cost and with no account limit.

What is number matching?

Instead of an Approve button, the notification shows three numbers and the sign-in screen shows one of them; you tap the matching number to approve. It defeats the attack where somebody with your password sends repeated prompts hoping you will tap yes to make them stop.

Does it work with non-Microsoft accounts?

Yes, at no cost. Any service offering a standard authenticator QR code can be added — the store screens show Figma, Discord, Nvidia and Instagram alongside Microsoft accounts — and each generates a six-digit code that refreshes every 30 seconds, the same as any other authenticator app.

What happened to the saved passwords?

They were retired on a schedule during 2025: adding stopped in June, autofill in July, and access to saved details in mid-August. Passwords and addresses sync to your Microsoft account and are reachable through Microsoft Edge, from where they can be exported. Payment cards stored in the app were deleted.

What are the alternatives?

Google Authenticator now syncs codes to a Google account and is simpler. Aegis on Android and Raivo on iPhone keep everything local with exportable encrypted backups. If your employer uses Microsoft accounts, this one remains necessary for passwordless approvals no matter what else you run.