Microsoft Is Retiring SMS and Voice MFA: What You Need to Know

If your business uses Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Entra ID, there’s an important authentication change coming that you should be planning for.  Microsoft is retiring the SMS and voice authentication services it currently provides for multi-factor authentication, or MFA. The change becomes final on February 1, 2027.

For businesses that still have employees receiving a text message or phone call from Microsoft when they sign in, this means those methods will eventually stop working unless the organization moves to a supported third-party telecom provider.

Key Dates

  • September 1, 2026 – Microsoft begins automatically enabling passkeys for users who are currently enabled for SMS or voice authentication.  Those users may start seeing prompts asking them to register a passkey when they sign in.  Organizations can temporarily opt out of this automatic migration while they prepare, but that does not remove the final retirement deadline.
  • February 1, 2027 – Microsoft-provided SMS and voice authentication will be retired.  At that point, businesses that still depend on Microsoft’s built-in text-message or voice-call delivery will need to have another authentication method in place.  If an employee’s only available MFA method is SMS or voice, that person may eventually be blocked from signing in until they register a supported passkey or another acceptable method.

What You Should Do

Start by reviewing which employees are still enabled for SMS or voice MFA. From there, begin moving those users to passkeys or another stronger authentication method well before the February deadline.

Let employees know that a change is coming, explain what they’ll see, and give them clear instructions on what they need to do. That small amount of preparation can save a lot of help-desk calls later.

Are you a BMT Client?
If you’re a BMT Managed Services client we’re taking care of this for you.  Our team is reviewing affected users, helping manage the move to passkeys, and making the necessary policy changes so you don’t have to keep track of every Microsoft authentication update yourself.

Not a Client?  Check Your Setup Now
If you’re not sure whether your employees are still using SMS or voice authentication, it’s worth finding out now rather than discovering it when someone gets locked out.  BMT can help you review your current Microsoft 365 and Entra ID setup, identify which users may be affected, and put a practical transition plan in place.  Schedule a free 15-minute initial consultation and we’ll help you figure out what needs to change before Microsoft’s deadline arrives.