Microsoft today updated the Microsoft Authenticator app on the App Store and confirmed that it has been removed from the Apple Watch.
The Microsoft Authenticator update removes support for the Apple Watch,” Microsoft wrote in its changelog. Microsoft notes that you can still choose to mirror iPhone reminders from the app to your Apple Watch in the Apple Watch’s notification settings.
Microsoft Authenticator for iOS is primarily used during the sign-in process to enable two-factor authentication for Microsoft accounts. Microsoft added support for Apple Watch in 2018. Microsoft previously announced that support for the Apple Watch app would be discontinued in early 2023.
Microsoft’s official notes.
Apple Watch Support
Q: Does Authenticator on iOS support Apple Watch?
A: In the upcoming January 2023 release of Authenticator for iOS, there will be no companion app for watchOS because watchOS is not compatible with the Authenticator security feature. This means you will not be able to install or use Authenticator on your Apple Watch, so it is recommended that you remove Authenticator from your Apple Watch. this change only affects Apple Watch, so you will still be able to use Authenticator on other devices.
Apple Watch does not show accounts
Q: Why doesn’t Authenticator show all my accounts when I open it in Apple Watch?
A: Authenticator only supports push notifications for Microsoft personal accounts or work or school accounts on the Apple Watch companion app. For other accounts (such as Google or Facebook), you must open the Authenticator app on your phone to view the authentication code.
Apple Watch Notifications
Q: Why can’t I approve or reject notifications on my Apple Watch?
A: First, make sure you have updated Authenticator to version 6.0.0 or later on your iPhone. Then, open the Authenticator app on your Apple Watch and look for any accounts that have a Settings button underneath them. Complete the setup process to approve notifications for these accounts.
Q: Why does approving or denying a login session fail on my Apple Watch?
A: Sometimes, approving or rejecting a session on watchOS fails with the error message “Unable to communicate with the phone. Please ensure that the Watch screen remains awake during future requests. For more information, see the FAQ.” In these cases, watchOS is unable to establish a connection with the phone and Apple is aware of the issue. Also, any notifications that require the Authenticator watchOS app should instead be approved on your phone.
Q: What notifications are not supported by the Apple watch?
A: Apple Watch does not support certain authenticator notifications. These notifications include number matching, passwordless sign-in for enterprise accounts, and location-based access notifications for enterprise accounts. For these unsupported notifications, the message displayed reads “Request type not supported on Watch. Open phone for approval.” .
Apple Watch Communication Errors
Q: I’m getting a communication error between my Apple Watch and my phone. What can I do to troubleshoot?
A: This error occurs when the Watch screen goes to sleep before it finishes communicating with your phone. If an error occurs during the installation process, try running the installer again, making sure the Watch stays awake until the process is complete. Also, open the app on the phone and respond to any prompts that appear. If the phone is still unable to communicate with the Watch, try the following.
Force quit the Authenticator mobile app, then open it again on your iPhone.
Force-quit the Companion app on your Apple Watch.
Open the Authenticator companion app on the Watch.
Press and hold the side button until the “Off” screen appears.
Release the side button and press and hold the Digital Crown to force-quit the active app.
Turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on your phone and Watch, then turn them back on.
Restart iPhone and Watch.
If an error occurs while trying to approve a notification, keep Wake on the Apple Watch screen until the request completes and you hear an indication that it was successful.
Apple Watch companion app not syncing
Q: Why isn’t the Authenticator app for Apple Watch syncing or showing up on my watch?
A: If the app is not showing up on your Watch, try the following.
Make sure the Watch is running watchOS 4.0 or later.
Sync the Watch again.
Apple Watch Companion app malfunction
Q: My Apple Watch companion app is malfunctioning. Can I send you a crash log to investigate?
A: First, make sure you choose to share your analysis data with us. If you are a TestFlight user, you are already registered. Otherwise, you can go to Settings > Privacy > Analytics and select the “Share iPhone & Watch Analytics” and “Share with app developers” options.
After registering, you can try to reproduce the crash so that the crash log is automatically sent to Microsoft Service Experts for investigation. However, if you are unable to reproduce the crash, you can manually copy the log file and send it to us.
Open the Monitoring app on your phone, go to Settings > General, and click Copy Monitor Analytics”.
Under Settings > Privacy > Analytics > Analytics Data, find the corresponding crash and copy its text content.
Open Authenticator on your phone and paste the text you copied in step 2 into the “Send Feedback” page under “Have a question? box on the Send Feedback page under “Describe the problem you are having.
