M365 Changelog: Public preview simplified mobile app sign in

MC236523 – We have updated this post to include a link to Additional Information for managing this feature.

Microsoft is simplifying how your users can sign in to mobile apps by allowing users to use a QR code to log in (instead of typing in their username and password). This experience will first be offered within Outlook on the web as a public preview.

Key Points:

• Microsoft 365 roadmap IDs: 69147 and 69148
• Timing: We will start to roll out this experience in Outlook on the web to Targeted Release customers in the United States in January and expect to complete worldwide roll out in early 2021.
• Control: Exchange PowerShell

How this will affect your organization:

From Outlook on the web, your users will see a notification that they can simply get the Outlook mobile app by sending themselves an SMS text message that includes a link to the Google Play or Apple App Store. A QR code will then appear in Outlook on the web that they can scan with the Outlook mobile app to sign in. Outlook will use their identity from Azure Active Directory to securely log them into the app on their mobile device. The notification only shows for users who do not currently use the Outlook mobile apps, can be dismissed at any time by the user, and may reappear after an extended period of time.

This experience can be managed by administrators by using Exchange PowerShell to disable the experiences in Outlook on the web that notifies users to download Outlook mobile. Doing so will also prevent the QR code sign-in flow from being shown.

What you need to do to prepare

This feature will roll out enabled by default. If you want to disable it, please take the necessary steps above to update your tenant settings.Additional informationBlog