All faculty and students have multi-factor authentication (MFA) enabled on their Microsoft account. If you encounter a message upon logging into the GCU Portal that asks for “More information required”, it’s likely that MFA has been enabled on your account. See the Initial MFA Setup Process section below for assistance setting up MFA the first time. If you've already set up MFA and are simply trying to log in, see the Login Process section below.
- Sign in to the GCU Portal with your GCU username and password. If you’re prompted with a message that says, “Let's keep your account secure”, then click Next.
- Select I want to set up a different method, and then choose either Phone or Authenticator App. You can then follow the prompts on the page to complete the set-up. GCU Technical Support has a limited scope of service over the Authenticator app, thus it is recommended that you use the phone option instead.
- Once you’re finished, click Next. A verification code will be provided to you via the method of your choosing.
- Enter the verification code that was provided, and then select Next.
- You will get a confirmation that your verification method has been registered. Choose Next to continue signing in.
- Once multi-factor authentication is set up, select Done.
- You should now be successfully logged in. Multi-factor authentication will be required anytime you log into a Microsoft application from a new device, and it may be required periodically on devices that have already been recognized.
Logging in with MFA
After completing the initial setup process for multi-factor authentication, you’ll be prompted to enter an authentication code periodically when you log into your account. For a complete list of the systems that may ask for MFA, please see What systems will ask for MFA? under the FAQ section near the bottom of this article. Some systems requiring additional security may ask for MFA for that is not mentioned on this list.
After entering your GCU email address and password, you’ll be asked to authenticate using an authentication code that was sent to the authentication method you used during the initial setup process. This may be a phone text code or authentication via the Microsoft Authenticator app if you’ve set that up. MFA will be required every 45 days based on conditional access, so you may receive multiple MFA notifications through your time with GCU.
Once you receive the code, enter the code in the box provided and select Verify. If the correct code was entered, you will be logged in immediately afterwards.
Managing Your Authentication Methods
In order to change your authentication methods, which are used for both MFA and password recovery, you’ll first need to access your GCU email. This can be done through the Email app in the GCU Portal, or by signing in directly at outlook.office.com. Once you are in your inbox, click your initials in the upper right corner and select View account.
From the left-side menu, select Security info.
From the Security info page, you can add, delete, and change authentication methods. Multi-factor authentication requires a mobile device, so unfortunately you cannot set an email address as your primary MFA method.
Click Add method and choose a method type. The options available are Authenticator app and phone. Once you’ve chosen a method, click Add to continue.
If you chose to add a phone, you’ll be prompted to receive a code for verification. Enter the phone number and click Next. Enter the code from the text message to finish the process.
If you chose to authenticate with an alternate or office phone, you’ll be prompted to receive a call for verification. Enter the phone number and click Next. Follow the prompts from the call recording to finish the process.
- On the Start by getting the app page, select Download now to install the Microsoft Authenticator app on your mobile device from the applicable app store. Then, click Next.
- Keep the Set up your account page open while you set up the Authenticator app on your mobile device.
- Once the app is downloaded, open it and select Accept to agree with the privacy statement.
- Click Continue if you prefer not to share your app usage data with Microsoft.
- Next, you can either select Add work or school account and sign in with your GCU email and password or Scan a QR code with your phone.
- If you select Scan a QR code, the QR code will appear when you return to the Set up your account page and click Next. After scanning the QR code, press Next again.
- After adding your account, a notification will be sent to the Microsoft Authenticator app on your mobile to test your account.
- You can approve the notification by entering the number shown on the screen into the box on your phone and clicking Yes.
- Once complete, you will see the confirmation that the notification is approved. Choose Next to finish setup process.
Next time you log into your GCU account, you’ll be asked to choose a method for authentication, and you can select the app from the listed options.
If you have any trouble setting up the Microsoft Authenticator app, check out Microsoft's support article for more detailed steps on the process.
Click Delete and confirm the deletion when prompted.
Click Change next to the authentication method. Depending on which method you’re changing, you’ll be prompted to send a code to either your mobile device or the Authentication app.
If you registered multiple authentication methods, you can change the default method sign in method. Click Change next to Default sign-in method.
If you have the Microsoft Authenticator app verification enabled, you will have two App based authentication options that you can select for your default methods:
- “App based authentication – notification” – With this option as the default, a number will appear on the GCU Portal login page, and you will also receive a push notification on your phone to sign in.
- “App based authentication or hardware token – code” – With this option as the default, you will need to enter a code from the Authenticator app into the text box that appears on the GCU Portal login page.
You may need to reset your multi-factor authentication (MFA) methods if you've lost your phone or no longer have access to your phone number or the Authenticator app. If you're prompted to authenticate with a code sent to your authentication method and are not receiving it, please contact GCU Technical Support so that we can reset it for you.
FAQ
Due to security concerns, we removed the option to authenticate using a phone call. However, some students need to authenticate with a phone number that can't receive texts. If you need to authenticate with a phone call, contact GCU Technical Support to re-enable that option.
If you set up more than one authentication method, the available alternatives will be listed. Depending on what you set up initially, you may not have all of the methods below.
-
Authenticator app: If you have downloaded and set up your account using the Microsoft Authentication app, you’ll have the ability to authenticate using an approval notification or a code.
- Authenticator app number matching: If you choose this option, you will see a window appear on your screen with a 2-digit number code.
You will also receive a notification on your phone asking you to sign in. Simply enter the code from your screen into the textbox on your Authenticator app, then you will be signed in!
If there are no alternative methods set up, we recommend completing basic troubleshooting and trying to use the text code option again. If you still cannot get into your account, contact Technical Support for assistance.
The phone number set as my authentication option is incorrect, and I can't log in. How can I fix it?
If the phone number listed as your authentication method is incorrect, try clicking the Sign in another way link.
If you set up more than one authentication method, the available alternatives will be listed. Depending on what you set up initially, you may not have all of the methods below.
-
Authenticator app: If you have downloaded and set up your account using the Microsoft Authenticator app, you’ll have the ability to authenticate using an approval notification or a code.
- Authenticator app number matching: If you choose this option, you will see a window appear on your screen with a 2-digit number code.
You will also receive a notification on your phone asking you to sign in. Simply enter the code from your screen into the textbox on your Authenticator app, then you will be signed in!
If there are no alternative methods set up, contact Technical Support for assistance with resetting your authentication methods. After you get access to your account, we do recommend that you set up an alternative authentication method.
Below is a list of some of the systems that use the MFA but may not include all of the systems. You can also determine if the system requires MFA at login if you receive the “Additional Security Verification” message.
- Exchange Online
- GCU Student App
- Halo | Learn
- GCU Library
- DC Network
- Center for Counseling Education (CCE)
- Dual Enrollment
- Social Work Community Connections (SWCC)
- Microsoft 365 Search Service
- Microsoft Forms
- Microsoft Office 365 Portal
- Microsoft Office client application
- Microsoft Planner (ProjectWorkManagement)
- Microsoft Stream
- Microsoft Teams
- Microsoft To-Do
- Microsoft To-Do WebApp
- Microsoft Whiteboard Services
- Office Delve
- Office Online
- OneDrive
- Power Apps
- Power Automate
- Security & Compliance Center
- SharePoint Online
- Skype and Teams Tenant Admin API
- GCU Student Portal
- Sway
- Yammer
Before getting a new app, password there are a few things to keep in mind. The first to remember is that the app passwords are auto generated and should be created and entered once per app. The second thing to remember is that there is a limit of 40 passwords per user. If you try to make another one and you are at the limit, you will be asked to delete a previous password. The information for getting a new password can be found here.
- Resetting the Password: We recommend resetting your password to troubleshoot this error message. If you are not sure how to reset your password, check out the article Password Reset Process.
- Resetting your Authentication Methods: You may need to reset your authentication methods to continue past this error message. To reset your authentication methods, please contact Technical Support.
You will be required to use MFA every 45 days. However, if you switch devices or Wi-Fi connections you will be asked to complete MFA again.
Once you have completed MFA in one system, like signing into the Student Portal, you will not have to do MFA again to open another system, like your Halo | Learn classroom or your student email, as long as you stay on the same device and Wi-Fi connection.
If you see a message saying “No Useable Data Found,” it may mean your phone does not support eSIM, which is required to use the Authenticator App. In this case, we recommend choosing one of the other available authentication methods.
To use the Authenticator App, your device must support eSIM. Most newer iPhones and many Android phones do. For the most accurate and up-to-date list of supported devices, we recommend checking the official support pages for your phone's manufacturer or searching "[Your Phone Model] eSIM support" online.
Some examples of phones known to support eSIM include:
Apple iPhones:
- iPhone SE (2020 and later)
- iPhone 11 and newer
Android phones:
- Google Pixel 2 and newer
- Samsung Galaxy S20 series and newer, Z Fold and Flip models
- Sony Xperia 10 III and newer
- Sharp Aquos Sense, Wish, and R series (select models)
- Huawei Mate 40 Pro, P40 series
- Oppo Find X and Reno series (select models)
- Xiaomi 12 and 13 series
- Motorola Edge and Razr series
- OnePlus 11, Nokia X30/G60/XR21, and others
If you’re unsure whether your device supports eSIM, please consult your phone's technical specifications or reach out to your mobile provider.
There maybe times that you may lose access to your device or if you are unable to receive the authentication code. If this happens to you, please reach out to GCU Technical Support so that we can get you into your class as soon as possible. We can temporarily allow you to access your account when you lose access to your device.