Can't authenticate for Teams

faringdon

Hi,

I am at work and trying to log on to the company's Teams but cant. I first need to get a microsoft account with the company (i have a company email adress) , but it needs me to authenticate, and my smartphone wont do it (i cant open authenticator any more for some reason). Its done it fine at other places, but my smartphone now seems to now have a problem…..it is constantly flashing up a message saying "google play services keeps stopping….App info…close App".

Do you know what to do?

My Smartphone is about 8 years old. Its a Samsung SM-J330FN

Grumpy_chap

Sounds like a question to ask the company IT help desk. Is it possible this is a firewall issue with the company WiFi?

Are the IT dept on site?

El_Torro

Agreed that this is a question for the IT department of your employer.

Are you using your personal phone to log in to your company's Teams? If your employer is allowing you to do this it doesn't seem like a very secure move on their part. If they haven't given you permission to do this then that'll explain why it's not working. If they have then speak to IT about it.

Exodi

faringdon

I am at work and trying to log on to the company's Teams but cant. I first need to get a microsoft account with the company (i have a company email adress)

The terminology is a bit awkward but to be clear, a company email address can a Microsoft account (as in you don't need to make a new account that ends in @outlook.com or something), presumably if you have access to Office at work (e.g. Word, Excel, Outlook, etc) your email address will already be assigned to a Microsoft account.

faringdon

it needs me to authenticate, and my smartphone wont do it (i cant open authenticator any more for some reason). Its done it fine at other places, but my smartphone now seems to now have a problem…..it is constantly flashing up a message saying "google play services keeps stopping….App info…close App".

What Authenticator app are you using? Microsoft? Google? Authy? etc. Do you know if it was backed up to your email address? Ordinarily I'd recommend clearing the cache/data if experiencing app issues but if it's not backed up this can prove very troublesome for an Authentication app. If it's backed up it's not a problem.

faringdon

My Smartphone is about 8 years old. Its a Samsung SM-J330FN

This might annoy a few forum users, but I'd suggest this is likely your primary problem. It was released 9 years ago (which feels like centuries ago considering the technological advances over that time) and launched with Android OS 7.0, upgradable up to Android 9.0, with the last security update in 2022. Today we're on Android 16.0 with 17.0 expected to be released in the next few months.

Inevitably many modern day apps, which are designed for the latest android versions, will have issues being run on very old OS's. I'd be surprised if the authenticator was the only one app doesn't work. When my mother gave me a similar aged device, we couldn't get YouTube to work, or any apps which use in-app browsers (e.g. to login) - which was numerous.

Personally I'd consider investing in a new phone, the entry level A series from Samsung typically starts at only £100 and promises support for 6 major OS updates. This isn't much, less than I'm sure many of us have spent for a meal out with our partner, but I understand that may be controversial given the website we're on.

Neil_Jones

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6671887/cant-authenticate-for-teams

The Samsung posted came with Android 7.
The MS app mentioned requires Android 8, and the app can't more than be more than a year old: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/authenticator/download-microsoft-authenticator

If your work account is provided by Microsoft / Outlook its already a Microsoft account for Teams purposes. If you think you have to be creating another account to use for work purposes then you're doing something wrong.

Normally if you make use of Teams on the company network it should already be aware that you're on that network and thus shouldn't require any other sign-ins, and you shouldn't really need the authenticator app when you're at work, that's more for outside of the work network.

faringdon

Thanks, but i find its normal at many companys to need to use your own personal smartphone to do the 2-factor-authentication in order to get on Teams at whichever company. In the last few months , ive done it sucessfully at a couple of different companies, but now, for sme reason, its not doing it any more…..ive now de-installed microsoft authenticator and will try and re-load it.

My smartphone doesnt have an account so i just use it with whichever free wifi, or my own wifi which is via a mobile router which i have at home or in the hotel room when i am away working.

____ ____ _____

I believe i have a microsoft account with my home mail address so i wonder if theres some trick i can do with that here?……i need to get onto the company Teams somehow, anyhow…..as there's all sorts of info pertaining to pay etc being sent to my Teams email address.

Im going to buy a new smartphone soon and will do it when i have time to sit down and review what spec i need…..i have another post on here on that subject with good answers there so i will review it. Thanks.

EnPointe

I agree with @Exodi the OP's likely problem is their now extremely out dated and therefore insecure mobile phone. the SM-J330 version of the J3 phone dates from 2017 , it is at best running Android 9.

The current version of Android is 16 (stable) / 17 ( preview/beta).

realistically if MFA is requirement for software you use you need to be looking at a 4 -5 year cycle to replace your phone

Bigphil1474

OP, we use teams and authenticator app at my place. Speak to your IT department and ask them what the minimum device requirement is. If your phone doesn't meet that requirement, then they should look at providing you with a device that does, or some other system. We used to just use little key fob things with a number pad on, pretty sure people still use them if they don't use a work phone.

You can't use your personal email for authentication into your work account. I've tried. I have 4 authenticator accounts and they are independent.

finbaar

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6671887/cant-authenticate-for-teams

Have you tried updated Google Play Services? If not , try that. And a clean reinstall of the Microsoft Authenticator app.