Microsoft Is Discontinuing The Password Management Capabilities of Authenticator

Microsoft plans to simplify its password management approach, which will lead to the deprecation of its Authenticator software.

The app’s features go beyond only one-time 2FA tokens; it also functions as a password organizer with autofill features that integrate smoothly with Edge. The Authenticator app’s function as a password management tool will start to phase out in June, though, as Microsoft aims to combine these capabilities into Edge for a more cohesive user experience.

The tech giant noted in a recent support article via BleepingComputer that the app’s password management and autofill functions will be completely deprecated by August 2025, with a partial termination starting in June 2025. This is a quick timeline:

• You won’t be able to save new passwords in Authenticator after June 2025.
• You won’t be able to use autofill with Authenticator in July 2025.
• Your saved passwords will no longer be available in Authenticator as of August 2025.

Support for 2FA codes and passkeys is here to stay

Users will need to install Edge on their smartphone separately if they want to keep using their saved passwords and addresses for autofill. “Your saved passwords (but not your generated password history) and addresses are securely synced to your Microsoft account, and you can continue to access them and enjoy seamless autofill functionality with Microsoft Edge,” the company noted.

Users must manually save generated passwords from the Password tab’s Generator history in order to continue using them. In a similar vein, users must make Edge their default autofill provider in order to keep utilizing autofill with Edge. To accomplish this;

• Get Edge.
• Navigate to the native settings on your smartphone and enter Autofill. Tap on Preferred Service (device-specific settings may differ).
• Choose Edge by tapping Change.
• Use your Microsoft account to log in to Edge (the same one you used for Authenticator). At this point, your addresses and passwords ought now be in sync and ready for autofill.

Note that payment details cannot be synchronized. After the year 2025, “any payment information stored in Authenticator will be deleted from your device.” If users want to keep using autofill for payments, they will need to manually enter their payment details in Edge again. It’s also important to note that passkeys are exempt from this modification. The only thing users need to do is make sure Microsoft Authenticator is still selected as their default passkey provider.

You may also export your passwords to another service if you don’t want to use Edge. To do this, go to Authenticator Settings > Export Passwords > Export, then import the resulting file into your preferred password manager.