Microsoft Authenticator is dropping Apple Watch support
You can still mirror alerts, though
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Support for theMicrosoftAuthenticator app on theApple Watchhas now ended, but there’s very little information as to why.
In a somewhat ironic fashion, onApple’sApp Store, the description for the latest update of one of thebest authenticator appsaround reads: “This update removes Microsoft Authenticator from Apple Watch.”
However, the alert also mentions that you can still mirror alerts from your iPhone toApple Watchin the notification settings. But the fact remains that the removal of the dedicated app has certainly made it less convenient for users of the wearable tech to authenticate their logins now.
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Another app falls
Microsoft Authenticator is one of the most popular authenticator apps around, and is used as a form of Multi-factor authentication (MFA) or two-factor authentication (2FA) to add an extra layer of security to your accounts and devices.
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The app for Apple Watch was first introduced in 2018, and allowed you to authenticate your logins without the need to unlock your iPhone.
Microsoft had initiallyannounced the end of the app’s lifecyclein a clandestine fashion in December 2022, burying the news in anFAQsection on the company’s support website, rather ambiguously stating that “there will be no companion app for watchOS due to it being incompatible with Authenticator security features.”
Quite what these security features are, and what makes them incompatible with watchOS, has not been explained by the IT giant.
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This is far from the first major app to be discontinued on Apple’ssmartwatch, though.Instagram,Slack,UberandPokémon Goall ended support for their respective apps on the platform.
It seems that in a lot of cases, people just weren’t using the apps, with notifications and alerts from their iPhone counterparts being enough for many.
Lewis Maddison is a Reviews Writer for TechRadar. He previously worked as a Staff Writer for our business section, TechRadar Pro, where he had experience with productivity-enhancing hardware, ranging from keyboards to standing desks. His area of expertise lies in computer peripherals and audio hardware, having spent over a decade exploring the murky depths of both PC building and music production. He also revels in picking up on the finest details and niggles that ultimately make a big difference to the user experience.
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