Optimized Multifactor Authentication text message delivery through WhatsApp

Originally posted by Microsoft Aug 10, 2023 Uncategorized 0 Comments

Today, Entra ID (Azure AD) Multifactor Authentication supports delivering one-time passcodes (OTPs) via text message. These texts get sent to the default messaging app on a user’s phone depending on the phone’s operating system. To help deliver OTPs to users on their preferred messaging platform, Entra ID will roll out delivery to WhatsApp in select regions. 

When this will happen:

Starting September 2023, users in India, Indonesia and New Zealand may start receiving multifactor authentication (MFA) text messages via WhatsApp. Only users that are enabled to receive MFA text messages and already have WhatsApp on their phone will get this experience.  The initial set of users will receive the update by mid-October, however further rollout is expected to take an extended period of time.  We will update this Message center post as additional expansion occurs.

The sender agent in WhatsApp where users will see the OTPs will be branded as Microsoft with a verified checkmark. 

How this will affect your organization:

If you’re an Entra ID enterprise customer, currently leverage the text-message authentication method and have any users located in the 3 countries listed above, we recommend you notify your help desk about this upcoming change. 

Additionally, if you don’t want your users to receive MFA text messages through WhatsApp, you’ll need to disable text messages as an authentication method in your organization.

Entra ID will expand the use of WhatsApp as an OTP delivery channel to other countries starting in October-November 2023.  We will publish a new Message center post prior to the expanded rollout beginning.

Message ID: MC666628