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Microsoft has said that the app will be incompatible with WatchOS.
Back in 2018, Microsoft released the Microsoft Authenticator app for Apple Watches. The app is meant to help users log into Microsoft accounts and devices using two-step authentication in lieu of sending code messages to a mobile phone. However, recently, for one reason or another, some app developers and publishers have chosen to remove their apps from WatchOS, and Microsoft is joining their numbers.
Microsoft announced today that, come January 2023, Microsoft Authenticator will no longer be available on Apple Watches running WatchOS.
“In the upcoming Authenticator release in January 2023 for iOS, there will be no companion app for watchOS due to it being incompatible with Authenticator security features,” the updated support page reads. “This means you won’t be able to install or use Authenticator on Apple Watch. We therefore recommend that you delete Authenticator from your Apple Watch. This change only impacts Apple Watch, so you will still be able to use Authenticator on your other devices.”
If you use the Microsoft Authenticator app on your Apple Watch, be prepared to look for an alternative starting January 2023. https://t.co/2Bw3JJdQX8 pic.twitter.com/abPiLirgVA
— AppleInsider (@appleinsider) December 13, 2022
This change is likely due to a genuine concern with the Apple Watch’s security framework rather than any kind of beef with Apple, as Microsoft confirmed that the Authenticator app will still be available on iOS devices like iPads and iPhones.
