The app is rolling out now to users as a public preview

Aug 28, 2018 06:19 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft has recently announced the public preview of its Authenticator app for the Apple Watch, technically allowing any owner of Apple’s smartwatch to try out the seamless authentication process to Microsoft accounts without the need for passwords.

Microsoft Authenticator is already available on Android and iOS, and it has received a bunch of major updates lately, especially as Microsoft itself has become more committed to these mobile platforms.

With today’s announcement, the Authenticator app goes live for the Apple Watch too, which makes it possible to approve a sign-in attempt to a configured Microsoft account from the comfort of the wrist.

This means a phone is no longer required to grant permission to log in, and given the big number of Apple Watch owners, this is very likely to be an update that makes the whole process more convenient for many.

Rolling out in the coming weeks

The new feature is part of the app update to version 6.0.0, and Microsoft says that it is gradually released within the next few weeks. Keep in mind, however, that this is still a public preview and not a final release, so there’s a chance that you may come across small bugs and issues.

On the other hand, if you do not want to wait any longer to try out this feature, you can easily enroll in the TestFlight program, though this obviously comes with all the risks of running unreleased software.

Microsoft explains that the Apple Watch becomes part of a two-step verification process for the Microsoft account, as it can guarantee that the owner of the account is the one authorizing a login attempt.

“The first factor is your possession of the Watch. The second factor is the PIN that only you know. When you put the Watch on your wrist in the morning, you will need to unlock it. As long as you don’t remove the Watch from your wrist and it stays within range of your phone, it will stay unlocked—so you don’t need to provide your PIN again,” Microsoft explains.