Outlook.com 2FA: How to Set Up an Authenticator App
Outlook.com supports app-based two-factor authentication (2FA). Turning it on adds a second layer of protection, so a stolen password alone can't unlock your Outlook.com account.
Your Outlook.com inbox is the master key to your other accounts — attackers use it to reset passwords everywhere. Besides an authenticator app, Outlook.com also offers SMS text codes, phone-call codes, email codes and a proprietary app. An authenticator app (TOTP) is usually the best balance of security and convenience — and it's safer than SMS codes, which can be intercepted through SIM-swap attacks.
2FA methods Outlook.com supports
- SMS text message
- Phone call
- Email code
- Proprietary app
- Authenticator app (TOTP)
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Download Authenticator App - Novaz
Install Authenticator App - Novaz from the App Store on your iPhone or iPad and open it — you'll use it to scan Outlook.com's QR code and generate your 6-digit sign-in codes.
- 2
Sign in to Outlook.com and open your Outlook.com account security settings.
- 3
Turn on two-factor authentication and choose the authenticator-app option.
Look for "Authenticator app", "Authentication app", or "TOTP" rather than SMS.
- 4
Scan the QR code with Authenticator App - Novaz.
Open Authenticator App - Novaz, tap add, and point your camera at the QR code Outlook.com displays. Can't scan? Enter the setup key manually instead.
- 5
Enter the 6-digit code to confirm.
Type the code Authenticator App - Novaz generates to verify and link your Outlook.com account.
- 6
Save a way to recover your account.
If Outlook.com shows backup or recovery codes, store them somewhere safe, away from your phone. If it doesn't, check how Outlook.com recovers accounts (support, an admin, or another sign-in method) before you need it.
Menu names on Outlook.com can change — the official Outlook.com 2FA documentation ↗ always has the exact, current path.
How to recover your Outlook.com account
If you lose access to your authenticator and Outlook.com gave you backup or recovery codes when you turned on 2FA, sign in with one of them; keep them somewhere safe, away from your phone. Not every service issues codes. If Outlook.com doesn't, or you didn't save them, use Outlook.com's account-recovery or support process (or ask your admin, for a work account) to get back in.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Outlook.com work with authenticator apps like Authenticator App - Novaz?
- Yes. Outlook.com supports TOTP authenticator apps, so you can generate its two-factor codes in Authenticator App - Novaz.
- Is Outlook.com two-factor authentication free?
- Yes. Enabling authenticator-app 2FA on Outlook.com is free — you only need the free Authenticator App - Novaz.
- What if I lose access to my Outlook.com 2FA codes?
- If Outlook.com gave you backup or recovery codes during setup, sign in with one of them. If it didn't, or you didn't save them, use Outlook.com's account recovery or contact its support (or your admin, for a work account), then add the account to Authenticator App - Novaz again.
Generate your Outlook.com codes in Authenticator App - Novaz
Free, offline, and encrypted. One tap for every 6-digit code.
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Novaz is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Outlook.com. Outlook.com and its logo are trademarks of their respective owner and are used here for identification only.



