Images Enable two-step authentication on your Microsoft account

How to enable two-step authentication on your Microsoft account – Video tutorial

Microsoft has finally started to roll out the two-step authentication for all the Microsoft accounts which will bring more security to the account by Microsoft. Users will be able to secure their account in a more efficient way and if, you or someone else tries to login or access your Microsoft account then, you will be asked to enter the code sent to your phone or email, which you selected during the configuration of two-step authentication on your Microsoft account.

Two-step authentication has been in use by many big companies like Google and Apple to secure the accounts of their customers and now, Microsoft has also decided to take the step to enable two step-authentication on all Microsoft accounts.

What are the advantages of using two-step authentication?

Using two-step authentication on your Microsoft account has the following uses/advantages:

• You will be able to secure your Microsoft account by selecting the phone and alternate email address which would be helpful in recovering the details of your account if, you ever loss access to it.
• You will be able to prevent un-authorized access to your account which would require a code sent to your phone or alternate email address.
• If, you want to access your Microsoft account from a mobile device then, you will have to use the authenticator app to gain access and login to your Microsoft account.
• You can access your Microsoft account even when you don’t have an network to receive text messages or calls by using the authenticator apps for mobile devices.
• If, you want to give a third party app access to your Microsoft account then, you can use the app passwords to give access which can only be used by the app you have selected.

Now, when you think you want to enable the two-step authentication on your Microsoft account then, you may follow the instructions below.

Instructions:

• First of all, go to the following URL:

account.live.com

• You would be asked to sign-in with your Microsoft account credentials. Enter your details and press ‘Sign in‘.
• You would be taken to the details page of your Microsoft account. Here press ‘Security info‘ link in the left column.
• You would get the option of ‘Two-step Verification‘ in the Security info page. Press ‘Set up two-step verification‘ link below that option.

• Next, you would be showed the details of two-step verification on your Microsoft account. Press ‘Next‘.

• Next, you would be showed the options to get the verification codes for your Microsoft account. You can select a phone number of an alternate email address.

Note: You must have entered the phone number and alternate email address in your Microsoft account details in-order to get the verification code(s).

• Once you have selected the phone number/email address, you would be receive a text message or call on your phone and/or an email on your alternate email address with the code(s).
• You will need to enter both the codes which were sent to your phone and email address to enable two-step verification.
• Once entered, you would be showed a message prompting ‘You’re done! Two-step verification is turned on‘.

• That’s all! You can now enjoy an extra layer of security on your Microsoft account.

A quick video showing the same process has been embedded after the break.