Microsoft Is Forcing an Enterprise Transition to Passkeys
Computerworld, Tuesday, July 14th, 2026
Microsoft makes passkeys the Entra ID default from September 2026 and retires SMS and voice MFA by February 2027.
Microsoft will make passkeys the default authentication method in Entra ID beginning September 1, 2026, and will phase out SMS and voice authentication by February 1, 2027.
Users will be auto-enabled for passkeys and prompted to register during MFA sign-in from September, while enterprises that still need SMS or voice must configure supported telecom providers by October 30; after February 2027 there is no opt-out.
Microsoft argues passkeys work better for users and worse for attackers because they require biometric or PIN verification plus device possession, eliminating transmitted shared secrets and neutralizing AI-generated phishing pages.
Obstacles include legacy applications that only support passwords and cross-platform compatibility gaps.