MFA: Setting up phone call verification

If you want to receive an automated phonecall as your verification method for MFA, you can either set this up on your mobile phone or on a landline. When you set this up, there are two options in the "Choose a different method" dropdown:

1. If you choose "Phone", you should enter your mobile phone number and can then choose if you want to receive a text message or a phonecall
2. If you choose "Alternative phone", you should enter another phone number, such as your landline, which you can then use as your authentication method

Video guide: setting up MFA using phone call verification

Setting up phone call verification - initial steps

The instructions on this page will show you how to set up phone call verification on a personal device (mobile phone) or "alternative phone", which will act as your multi-factor authentication method. Both options have the same initial steps:

1. Go to My Sign-Ins
2. Select your account
3. Enter your Single Sign-On (SSO) password and click Sign-In
4. Click Next on the 'More information is required' screen
    
   
   

   More information required screen

   This is where you set up how the system will contact you when you need to provide a second authentication method

• If you want to set up phonecall verification on your mobile, please continue with the instructions below
• If you want to set up phonecall verification on your landline, please use the instructions further down the page

Setting up phone call verification on your mobile phone

Use this set of instructions to set up phonecall verification on your mobile phone.

1. Click I want to set up a different method
    
   
   

   Click I want to set up a different method

2. Open the drop-down menu and select Phone and click Confirm
   
   
   

   Open the drop-down menu and select Phone

3. Use the drop-down menu to pick the country the telephone number originates in. Countries appear in alphabetical order (except for the United States)
    
   
   

   Use the drop-down menu to pick your country

4. Enter the telephone number on the right-hand side
5. Click the radio button next to 'Call me' and click Next
    
   
   

   Click the radio button next to 'Call me' and click Next

6. The screen will display a message informing you that the system is calling the number
    
   
   

   We're calling you now

7. Answer the call and press the # key on the device to verify your identity and your second factor authentication method.
   Please note the automated message may ask you to press the "pound" key or the "hash" key, but you should always press the # symbol on your telephone keypad
8. When the process is complete, the system will inform you that the phone was registered successfully
    
   
   

   Call answered. Your phone was registered successfully

9. Click Next
10. At the next screen, click Done
    At this point your Multi-factor authentication method has been set-up.
    If you do not need to set up an App password you can close the page

Setting up phone call verification on a landline

Use this set of instructions to set up phonecall verification on a landline, such as your office phone.

1. Open the drop-down menu and select Alternative phone and click Confirm
    
   
   

   Select Alternative phone from the drop-down menu

2. Use the drop-down menu to pick the country the telephone number originates in. Countries appear in alphabetical order (except for the United States)
    
   
   

   Use the drop-down menu to pick your country

3. Enter the telephone number on the right-hand side
4. Click the radio button next to 'Call me' and click Next
    
   
   

   Click the radio button next to 'Call me'

5. The screen will display a message informing you that the system is calling the number
    
   
   

   We're calling you now

6. Answer the call and press the hash key (#) on the phone to verify your identity and your second factor authentication method.
   Please note the automated message may ask you to press the "pound" or "hash" key, but you should always press the # on your telephone keypad
7. When the process is complete, the system will inform you that the phone was registered successfully
    
   
   

   Call answered. Your phone was registered successfully

8. Click Next
9. At the next screen click Done
   At this point your Multi-factor authentication method has been set-up

App passwords

In some instances, the system will ask if you want to set-up an App Password. These are only required if you are accessing older applications or non-Microsoft clients - please see the list of compatible devices.

If you do not need to set up an App password you can close the page.

For more information about App Passwords, including how to request them for your account and how to set them up, please see the Create an App password for Nexus365 page.