Instructions to set up SMS

A one-time password can be sent to a telephone number.

1. In a web browser, login to the My Sign-ins website using your Edinburgh username in the format uun@ed.ac.uk and your login password.
2. If you do not enter the account setup automatically, select +Add sign-in method > Phone > Add
3. Provide the phone number to use.
4. Select Text me a code, then Next
5. Provide the 6 digit code sent to your device, then Next
6. Activate your MFA.

Text-based MFA authentication method priority - WhatsApp and RCS

When Text / SMS is selected as a user's MFA method, Microsoft will initially attempt to send the tokens via WhatsApp or using RCS (Rich Communication Services) which use the recipient's mobile phone's data allowance / WiFi, and only fall back to sending an actual Text / SMS if those methods fail. 

There is no mechanism to disable this if the Text / SMS option is chosen, so, if you don’t wish tokens to go to WhatsApp / RCS, you should please not select Text / SMS as a mechanism for MFA authentication and rather choose a different option, such as an Authenticator app. 

Need help?

Get MFA Support