Microsoft Entra ID External MFA (External Authentication Methods, EAM)
What is Microsoft Entra External MFA? External MFA, previously called External Authentication Methods (EAM), lets users meet Microsoft Entra ID’s MFA requirements with a third-party provider while Entra ID keeps making the access decisions. LoginTC is an External MFA provider for Entra ID, with phone-free methods including hardware tokens, passcode grids and FIDO2 security keys, plus push, software OTP, email OTP, SMS and phone calls, subject to your authentication policy. It needs Entra ID P1 or P2 licences and a LoginTC Business or Enterprise plan. Microsoft stopped allowing new or edited custom controls in September 2026 and retires them in early 2027, so External MFA is now the way to bring a third-party MFA provider to Entra ID.
Secure access to Microsoft online services with LoginTC two-factor authentication (2FA) as your External Authentication Method provider. LoginTC is third-party Entra ID MFA, connected through the external authentication methods framework that Microsoft made generally available in February 2026 and now also calls External Multifactor Authentication, or External MFA. Easy for end-users to enroll and log into Office 365 and Microsoft online applications. Two-factor authentication helps prevent account takeovers.
Multiple authentication methods like Push-based authentication, Software One-Time Passwords (OTP), Hardware Tokens, Bypass Codes and Email One-Time Passwords ensure end-users can always login securely.
Three things worth reading alongside this page: how to set LoginTC up as an external authentication method in Entra ID if you want the configuration steps, why organizations choose a third-party MFA provider for Entra ID if you are still weighing the decision, and Microsoft’s retirement of its own SMS and voice authentication if you are working to a deadline.
Enable LoginTC with Entra ID EAM to add comprehensive multi-factor authentication (MFA) to your Microsoft services and keep your organization secure.
