System-preferred authentication
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Microsoft's commit message in MicrosoftDocs/entra-docs · commit bd00d7e · +2 −2 lines · also on GitHub
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title: System-preferred authentication in Microsoft Entra ID
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description: Learn how system-preferred authentication evaluates methods to prompt users with the most secure sign-in option for both first-factor and second-factor authentication.
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ms.topic: overview
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−ms.date: 04/15/2026
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+ms.date: 09/01/2026
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ms.reviewer: msft-poulomi
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ms.custom: msecd-doc-authoring-1012
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ai-usage: ai-assisted
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System-preferred authentication is a Microsoft managed setting, which is a [three-state policy](#authentication-method-feature-configuration-properties) (enabled, disabled, or Microsoft managed). If you don't want to enable system-preferred authentication, change the state from **Microsoft managed** to **Disabled**, or exclude users and groups from the policy.
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> [!NOTE]
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−> The **Microsoft managed** state behavior affects both first-factor and multifactor authentication and is being gradually deployed to tenants through August 2026. If your tenant or users don't experience system-preferred authentication as the first factor when the **State** is **Microsoft managed**, the rollout isn't deployed yet for your tenant.
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+> The **Microsoft managed** state behavior affects both first-factor and multifactor authentication and is being gradually deployed to tenants through September 2026. If your tenant or users don't experience system-preferred authentication as the first factor when the **State** is **Microsoft managed**, the rollout isn't deployed yet for your tenant.
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After system-preferred authentication is enabled, the authentication system does all the work. Users don't need to set any authentication method as their default because the system always determines and presents the most secure method they registered.
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