MFA SMS texts no longer work if phone is connected by internet instead of carrier

kurtd 0

My problem is specific to Microsoft MFA SMS texts. They no longer come through if Android or Apple phones are connected via (wireless) internet due to not able to pick up strong enough signal from AT&T. This problem only started a couple of weeks ago. I assume Microsoft changed sms protocols.
We have to now run out of the house, turn off wireless and hope to get the text in time to go back and enter the code. My girlfriend is getting ready to kill me.

Am I alone on this?

Harshitha Eligeti 1,210 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2024-12-09T19:57:30.49+00:00

Hi @kurtd •

Thank you for sharing your issue on Microsoft Q&A.

I understand that you are facing issues with MFA SMS texts not coming through when connected to Wi-Fi, especially with Android or Apple phones, and you're experiencing some form of network issue.

Since you mentioned that this issue started recently, it's possible that there are some local AT&T network changes affecting SMS delivery. It could be worth checking with AT&T to see if there are any known issues in your area.

Microsoft hasn't officially announced changes to their SMS protocols recently, but it's possible that some recent network updates, carrier changes, or phone settings could be causing the issue.

I recommend using the Microsoft Authenticator app instead of SMS for MFA. This app generates codes directly on your device and doesn’t rely on SMS, which can help avoid the issues you’re experiencing.

You're not alone in facing problems with MFA SMS delivery; other users have reported similar issues, though they can vary depending on individual setups and carrier networks.

Hope this helps. Do let us know if you have any further queries.

Best Regards.
Harshitha Eligeti.
Harshitha Eligeti 1,210 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2024-12-10T23:52:32.0333333+00:00

Hi @kurtd •

We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution, please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.
kurtd 0 Reputation points

2024-12-11T00:21:30.9533333+00:00

I was able to get my girlfriend on Authenticator and was able to add my most of mine back onto Authenticator as well (accounts didn't transfer well from Android to iPhone). I'm a computer Scientist with over 30 years of experience the sudden text issue over wifi of just MFA texts makes no sense. It occurred to me that Salt Typhoon may be involved. If I were them I couldn't imagine a higher value target than Azure MFA texts.
Harshitha Eligeti 1,210 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2024-12-16T21:24:51.37+00:00

Hi @kurtd •
You are having trouble with MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) texts not functioning correctly over Wi-Fi, and you are thinking that a cyberattack may be the cause, namely involving the Chinese cyber espionage group Salt Typhoon.

Given your expertise as a computer scientist, you are likely already aware of how complex and subtle these types of issues can be.

SMS Over Wi-Fi: Your phone may occasionally not receive SMS communications, including MFA codes, if it is linked to Wi-Fi rather than cellular service. This may occur if there are problems with your carrier's network infrastructure or if the carrier restricts SMS messages when using Wi-Fi calling. It is worthwhile to confirm this, especially if the issue is only apparent under specific network circumstances.
Problems Associated with Carrier: MFA codes in particular may be impacted by SMS delivery interruptions, even when Wi-Fi calling is enabled.

Backup and Recovery for Microsoft Authenticator: Before switching to the iPhone, make sure you have enabled the Cloud Backup function in Microsoft Authenticator on your Android smartphone, if you haven't already. This enables you to restore your accounts on a different device after backing them up to your Microsoft account. Here are some things to try as restoring from backup may occasionally fail because of problems with cross-platform syncing (iOS and Android): Re-connect Accounts: Individual accounts may occasionally need to be manually re-linked on the new device, even when backup is enabled. This can be accomplished by going to the MFA setup page for each service and either entering a setup key or scanning a fresh QR code.

Reconfigure MFA for Services: You might need to disable and re-enable MFA on the accounts that didn't transfer correctly. In order to do this, you must log into the service, delete the previous Authenticator configuration, and then set it up using the new device.

Best Regards.
Harshitha Eligeti.
Harshitha Eligeti 1,210 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2024-12-18T01:00:40.1933333+00:00

Hi @kurtd •
We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution, please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.
Harshitha Eligeti 1,210 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2024-12-18T19:56:58.5233333+00:00

Hi @kurtd •
We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution, please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.
kurtd 0 Reputation points

2024-12-18T20:09:17.3966667+00:00

I'm sorry, the workaround of getting on authenticator worked fine.
So I don't know if texts for MFA are working as a fall back or not. Regular texts have been working over wifi the whole time and continue to. As pointed out could be an issue with AT&T possibly due to their system being compromised (filtering the MFA texts may have been a safety precaution on their part), doubt they'd publish their countermeasures seeing as it's ongoing). Issue could be with my ISP (Windstream - i'm rural) or with Azure.
Likely will never know for sure.
Thank you for your time and effort!
Kurt
Harshitha Eligeti 1,210 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2024-12-24T20:46:41.4033333+00:00

Hi @kurtd •
I'm glad to hear the workaround with the authenticator app is working for you! The issue could be related to your ISP or possibly AT&T’s system being compromised. However, if you continue to experience problems with MFA texts, you might want to consider using an alternative verification method, such as the Microsoft Authenticator app or a phone call.

Hope this helps. Do let us know if you have any further queries.
Regards,
Harshitha Eligeti.

Share via

MFA SMS texts no longer work if phone is connected by internet instead of carrier

Your answer