Adding the Microsoft Authenticator App

Owned by Christopher Mueller
Last updated: Jul 02, 2024 by Naa Amerley Lokko
4 min read

PCCC recommends adding multiple methods of authentication to your account, with options including:

You must have access to one of these methods when you sign in.

After completing the steps detailed below, you will be able to use the Microsoft Authenticator app to receive notifications on your smartphone or tablet to verify your identity when prompted for Multifactor Authentication.

Step 1. Download and install the Microsoft Authenticator app

Visit the Apple app store or Google play store on your device and install the Microsoft Authenticator app.

You can also visit aka.ms/authapp and download the Microsoft Authenticator app from there.

Make sure you are downloading the official Microsoft Authenticator App. This app is FREE from Microsoft on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Please use the links provided above or verify the publisher listed on the app store is “Microsoft Corporation”

Step 2. Add your account to the app

On your desktop, visit https://aka.ms/mysecurityinfo to access the “Security info” settings for your PCCC account.

Click Add sign-in method.

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In the “Add a method” pop-up window, click the down arrow and select Authenticator app.

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A pop-up window titled “Microsoft Authenticator” should come up. Through this, the next few steps will walk you through how to connect the Microsoft Authenticator app to your PCCC account. Please follow each step and then click Next after completing each one:

If you don’t have the app downloaded on your mobile device, please download it first.

 

Next, allow for notifications for the app if prompted.

Follow these steps if you’re opening the app for the first time:

  1. First, please “Accept” the privacy statement.

  2. Next, for “Help us improve Microsoft Authenticator”, just click “Continue”.

  3. Lastly, at “Secure Your Digital Life”, please press “Skip” at the top right of your screen.

You should be at the homepage of the Microsoft Authenticator app at this point. Press Add Account and then select Work or school account. Afterwards, select Scan QR code.

 

For the last step, use the Microsoft Authenticator app to scan the QR Code in the pop-up window. After scanning the QR code, and your PCCC account appears on the homepage of your app, click Next in the pop-up window.

 

Finally, to make sure the app is connected to your PCCC account, please type the number shown on your settings screen into the space that pops up on your mobile device.

 

Step 3: Set your default sign-in method

To ensure that you are prompted to sign in using your authentication of choice click the change link next to the Default sign-in method. If it isn’t set, it will say Set default sign-in method instead.

 

Or

 

Select your preferred method of authentication. To choose your preferred authentication app, please choose one of the two options as shown in the picture below:

  1. App based authentication - notification: this option enables the app to send you a notification to confirm if it is you who is signing in or not when trying to sign into your account.

  2. App based authentication or hardware token - code: this option lets you physically type in the code that shows under your PCCC account in your authentication app when you are trying to sign in. You may need to click into it to see the code for some apps.

After selecting one, click Confirm.