Microsoft 365 - Signing In for the First Time & Setting Up MFA (Step-by-Step with Pictures)

Updated 4d ago 6 views 7 min read
microsoft 365 first sign-in new employee mfa multi-factor authentication authenticator password email setup getting started
In This Article

Welcome! This guide walks you through two things, in order: signing in to your new Microsoft 365 email account for the first time, and connecting your phone so it can confirm it's really you (this is called multi-factor authentication, or MFA). Every step has a picture. Take your time and don't skip ahead. Most people finish in about 15 minutes.

What is MFA, in plain English? A password alone can be guessed or stolen. MFA adds a second check: when you sign in, your phone gets a message asking "Is this you?" and you tap Approve. No phone approval means no access, so even someone who knows your password can't get in.

Before You Start: What You'll Need

  • Your new email address and temporary password. These came from your manager or from us. Have them written down or on the screen in front of you.
  • Your mobile phone (iPhone or Android), charged and with you. You'll install one free app on it.
  • A computer with an internet connection and a web browser (Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Safari are all fine).
  • About 15 minutes without interruptions.
Keep this page open on the computer while you work, or print it. That way you can read a step, do it, and come back to the next one.

Part 1 — Install the Microsoft Authenticator App on Your Phone

Do this part first, on your phone, before you touch the computer. It makes the later steps go smoothly.

Step 1. On your phone, open the app store: the App Store on an iPhone, or Google Play (the Play Store) on an Android phone.

Step 2. Tap the search box and type Microsoft Authenticator.

Step 3. Find the app called Microsoft Authenticator made by Microsoft Corporation. Its icon is a blue square with a white padlock. Tap Get (iPhone) or Install (Android).

Two phones side by side. On the iPhone App Store and on Google Play, the search result Microsoft Authenticator by Microsoft Corporation is shown with the Get or Install button circled in red.

Only install the app named Microsoft Authenticator by Microsoft Corporation. Other apps with similar names and icons will not work with your account. The real app is free and never asks for payment.

Step 4. Wait for the install to finish. You don't need to open the app yet. The computer will tell you when it's time.

Part 2 — Sign In on Your Computer for the First Time

Step 1. On the computer, open your web browser. Click in the address bar at the very top of the window (not a search box in the middle of the page), type office.com, and press Enter on the keyboard.

Step 2. Click Sign in. A box like the one below appears. Type your full new email address, then click Next.

The Microsoft Sign in box in a web browser. The address bar showing office.com is marked 1, the email box containing jane.smith@yourcompany.com is marked 2, and the blue Next button is marked 3.

Step 3. Type the temporary password you were given, exactly as it was written, then click Sign in.

The Enter password box. The password field is marked 1 and the blue Sign in button is marked 2.

Passwords are case-sensitive: a capital letter and a small letter count as different. If it keeps saying the password is wrong, check that Caps Lock isn't on, and look closely for characters that are easy to mix up, like the letter O and the number 0, or the letter l and the number 1.

Step 4. Choose your own password. Because this is your first sign-in, Microsoft asks you to replace the temporary password with one that only you know:

  1. Current password — type the temporary password again.
  2. New password — type a new password that you make up.
  3. Confirm password — type the exact same new password a second time.
  4. Click Sign in.

The Update your password box with three fields marked 1 Current password, 2 New password, and 3 Confirm password, and the Sign in button marked 4.

Choosing a good password. Use at least 12 characters. An easy way is three or four unrelated words with a number and a symbol, for example Purple-Garden-Kettle-42. Don't reuse a password from any other website, and never share it with anyone. Write it down somewhere safe at home until you have it memorized.

Step 5. Next you'll see More information required. This is expected. It's Microsoft asking to connect your phone. Click Next.

The More information required screen, which says your organization needs more information to keep your account secure. The Next button is marked 1.

Part 3 — Connect Your Phone (Setting Up MFA)

Now the computer and the phone work together. Each step says which device to look at.

Step 1 — On the computer. The screen says Keep your account secure and Start by getting the app. You already installed the app in Part 1, so click Next.

The Keep your account secure screen with the heading Start by getting the app. The Next button is marked 1.

Step 2 — On the computer. The screen says Set up your account. Click Next. A square black-and-white pattern called a QR code appears. Leave it on the screen. You're about to scan it with your phone.

The Set up your account screen, which says to allow notifications, add an account, and select Work or school. The Next button is marked 1.

Step 3 — On your phone. Open the Microsoft Authenticator app. If it asks to send you notifications, tap Allow. This matters, because notifications are how your phone receives the "Is this you?" messages. Then:

  1. Tap the + in the top corner, or the Add account button.
  2. Tap Work or school account.

Two phone screens. On the first, the Authenticator app's plus button and Add account button are circled and marked 1. On the second, the Work or school account option is circled and marked 2.

Step 4 — On your phone. Tap Scan QR code. If the phone asks for permission to use the camera, tap Allow or OK. The camera opens.

Step 5 — On your phone. Hold the phone up so the camera can see the square code on the computer screen. Keep it steady, about 6 to 10 inches away. You don't need to press anything. It scans on its own, and your account appears in the app.

Two phone screens. On the first, the Scan QR code option is circled and marked 1. On the second, the camera view shows a QR code inside a frame marked 2, with the note that it scans on its own.

Step 6 — On the computer. Once the phone has scanned the code, click Next under the QR code.

The Scan the QR code screen on the computer. The QR code is marked 1 and the Next button is marked 2.

Step 7 — Test it. The computer shows Let's try it out with a two-digit number. At the same time, your phone receives a notification.

The Let's try it out screen showing a large two-digit number, 47 in this example, marked 1.

Step 8 — On your phone. Tap the notification, or open the Authenticator app. Type the number shown on the computer screen into the box and tap Approve.

Two phone screens. On the first, a lock-screen notification from Microsoft Authenticator is marked 1. On the second, the Approve sign-in screen shows the number box marked 2 and the Approve button marked 3.

Step 9 — On the computer. The screen says Notification approved. Click Next. Then, on the Success! screen, click Done.

The Notification approved screen with the Next button marked 1.

The Success screen showing a green check mark and Default sign-in method: Microsoft Authenticator. The Done button is marked 1.

Step 10. If you see Stay signed in?, click Yes if this is your own work computer. Click No if it's a shared or public computer.

The Stay signed in question with the Yes button marked 1.

Step 11. You're in! Click Outlook to open your email.

The Microsoft 365 home page after signing in, with the Outlook app tile marked 1.

Done. Your account is set up and your phone is connected. You can close this guide, or keep reading to learn what to expect from now on.

What Happens Next Time You Sign In

  • You'll type your email address and your new password, just like today.
  • Your phone will buzz with an Approve sign-in? message showing a number box. Type the number shown on your computer screen and tap Approve.
  • On your own computer you usually won't be asked again for a while. You'll see it more often when you sign in on a new device or after you change your password.
The golden rule: only approve a request that you started yourself, right then. If your phone asks you to approve a sign-in you didn't just make, tap No, it's not me and contact us right away. Someone may have your password.

If Something Goes Wrong

  • The temporary password doesn't work. Check Caps Lock and look-alike characters (see the tip in Part 2). If it still fails after three careful tries, stop and contact us. Too many wrong tries can lock the account, and we can reset it in minutes.
  • The QR code won't scan. Make sure you tapped Scan QR code inside the Authenticator app, not the phone's regular camera app. Turn the computer's screen brightness up, and move the phone slowly closer or farther away.
  • No notification arrives on the phone. Open the Authenticator app yourself. The request usually appears inside it. Also check that the phone has internet (Wi-Fi or mobile data) and that notifications were allowed for the app.
  • You see a screen that doesn't match these pictures. Microsoft updates its screens from time to time, so wording can differ slightly. Look for the option that mentions Microsoft Authenticator and follow the prompts. If you get stuck, contact us. It's a quick fix.
  • You get a new phone later. See Getting a new phone: moving Microsoft Authenticator before you get rid of the old one.

If you have any questions or run into any issues, please submit a support request.

Was this article helpful?