Microsoft will retire SMS first-factor sign-in for Microsoft Entra ID Free tenants on August 11, 2026, due to fraud risks. Users must switch to other authentication methods before then. SMS as a multifactor method remains unaffected. Admins should identify affected users and update authentication policies accordingly.
Applies to: Microsoft Entra
Source: mc.merill.net — data via Merill Fernando's open archive (MIT).