Unable to set up two factor authentication

[Kyorin]

I have gone through the motions of setting up 2fa, but I am unable to put in the new password for my Microsoft account on my phone.

When I access my Microsoft account on my phone, there is no option to put it or change the password. I don't know if this is relevant, but my Microsoft account is actually myname@my-isp.com I basically set up my normal email account as Microsoft account (they used to let you do this, I'm not sure if they still do). Everything works fine, I can log in to Microsoft's various websites with my Microsoft account.

The only info on my phone apart from the sync settings i.e. "every 15 mins" and "download email for the past 7 days", though I don't actually sync the email with this account, so that is not ticked. Below this is my username (no password), and server which is dub405-m.hotmail.com

Any ideas? I basically cannot enable two factor authentication as there is no password field to update.

 

[xandros9]

You may not have to change the password on your phone. Once its two-step authentication is online, you should be good to go.
If you have to change your password, the phone will complain.

I think it'll be fine since the phone is the same one being used for authenticating stuff. I know when I hard reset my 920 with it enabled, I could just put in my normal password in and it'll let me in since my phone number checks out.

 

[Kyorin]

But when I sign in to my live account @ live.com to change to 2fa, it goes through the motions and generates a code, but then it specifically says that I need to open my Microsoft account settings on my phone and enter this new 16 digit code... but I have nowhere to put it.

I've turned off 2fa, because without having anywhere to put this code, I'm not sure what's going on, or whether it will affect anything.

 

[Jan Tomsic]

To get 2 step verification working you need to enable 2 step verification in Microsoft account settings, download Authenticator app on your phone and connect the two by either entering the 'secret' or scanning the QR code.

Once 2 step verification is enabled, your main M$ account on WP will tell you that it 'requires attention', and then you'll enter you normal password, and it will ask you for the 2 step code as well, which you get from the Authenticator app (just press start, open Authenticator, copy code and press back until you get back to the prompt). Paste the code in and you're good to go.

 

[Kyorin]

I did get as far as downloading the authenticator app and putting the code in on the site, I then got the much longer code that I was supposed to put into my handset, but did not have anywhere to put it. It did come up briefly saying that the MS account needed attention, but this went away before I did anything and just seemed to carry on working.

Thanks for your input Jan, if nothing else, at least I have a clear idea of the order everything should be done in, I'll have another go at it this evening and see how I get on.

 

[Pete]

You shouldn't need to add your app password onto your Phone (only if you perform a hard reset and have to work over).

Your phone should be listed as a "trusted device" on outlook.com. You set up the trust relationship when you downloaded the authenticator app and used the code number in the app (or scanned the QR code).

Keep the two-step enabled, you're safer that way.