Independent guide - not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft. We never ask for your password, codes or account details. For official help use Microsoft's account recovery form or support.microsoft.com.

How to Turn Off Two-Step Verification on a Microsoft Account

Published October 21, 2026. Updated October 21, 2026.

Two-step verification asks for a second proof of identity, usually a code or an app approval, on top of your password. Most of the time it is worth keeping, but there are legitimate reasons to switch it off: you are changing phones, an old app keeps rejecting your password, or you are handing an account over to someone else. This independent guide shows the exact steps Microsoft gives for turning it off, what changes afterwards, and some safer alternatives that solve the same problems. It is based on Microsoft's support pages, linked at the end. We never ask for your password or security codes.

Personal account or work account?

The steps below are for a personal Microsoft account, the kind used with Outlook.com, Hotmail, Xbox, Skype or a home copy of Microsoft 365. If your account was issued by an employer or school, multi-factor authentication is controlled by that organisation's IT administrator, and there is no personal switch to turn it off. Our aka.ms/mfasetup guide explains the difference and where work or school security settings live.

Steps to turn off two-step verification

Microsoft gives the same path for turning two-step verification on or off:

Sign in to the Security tab of your Microsoft account at account.microsoft.com/security.
Select Manage how I sign in to show the ways you prove who you are.
Under Additional security and Two-step verification, choose Turn off.
Follow the instructions shown on the screen. You may be asked to confirm with a security code first.

Check the address bar before you sign in: it should show account.microsoft.com or a login page on a microsoft.com or live.com address. If anyone sent you a link to "disable verification", ignore it and type the address yourself.

What changes after you turn it off

Microsoft explains the difference clearly. With two-step verification on, you get a security code by email, phone or authenticator app every time you sign in on a device that is not trusted. With it off, you only have to verify your identity with security codes periodically, when there might be a risk to your account security. So you will still see an occasional code request, for example after an unusual sign-in, but not at every new sign-in.

App passwords are tied to the feature. Microsoft states that app passwords are only available if you use two-step verification, and that if it is not turned on you will not see the App passwords section on the Additional security options page. Older apps and devices that could not handle security codes, such as the mail apps on some phones or the Xbox 360, used app passwords for that reason.

Why you might not need to turn it off

Most people looking for this setting are trying to fix a specific annoyance. Often there is a better option:

New phone. Rather than switching the feature off, move your codes. Our guide to Microsoft Authenticator on a new phone covers backup and restore.
Lost or changed phone number. Add a new way to verify first. Microsoft lets you add up to 10 different methods, including an email address, an authenticator app or a passkey, from Manage how I sign in. Remove the old method only after the new one works; removing all of your security info at once starts a 30-day restriction, explained in our page on a security info change that is still pending.
Too many codes on your own PC. Microsoft only asks for a code on devices that are not trusted, so signing in on your usual devices should not prompt every time.
An old app rejects your password. Microsoft says an "incorrect password" error on an app or device after turning on two-step verification, when you are sure the password is right, means that app needs an app password.

Microsoft also notes that it is phasing out SMS as a method of authentication and account recovery for personal Microsoft accounts, and that the option to add a new phone number may not be available on every account. An authenticator app, a second email or a passkey is a more durable choice.

Locked out? Turning it off is not the route

You can only reach the setting if you can sign in. Microsoft warns that with two-step verification on you always need two forms of identification: if you forget your password you need two contact methods, and if you lose your contact method your password alone will not get you back in. It says regaining access can take 30 days, and that you may even lose access to the account, which is why it strongly recommends keeping three pieces of security info on the account.

If that has already happened, start with Microsoft's sign-in helper. If you cannot use any of your security info, the account recovery form at account.live.com/acsr is the next step; our step-by-step recovery guide explains how to fill it in, and a saved recovery code can get you in without the form. Note that our recovery form guide also explains a hard limit: if two-step verification is on and you cannot use any alternate verification method, Microsoft says the form cannot restore access.

If you turn it off, keep the account protected

Use a long, unique password that you do not use anywhere else.
Keep a current phone number or second email in your security info so Microsoft can still reach you.
Review the Recent activity page from time to time.
Plan to turn two-step verification back on once the reason for switching it off has passed. The same Manage how I sign in page has the Turn on option.

Never turn the feature off because someone asked you to over the phone or in a chat. Microsoft states that its support agents are not allowed to access or change account details, and its warning messages never include a phone number.

Frequently asked questions

How do I turn off two-step verification on my Microsoft account?

Sign in at account.microsoft.com/security, select Manage how I sign in, then under Additional security and Two-step verification choose Turn off, and follow the instructions on screen.

What happens when two-step verification is turned off?

Microsoft says you will then only have to verify your identity with security codes periodically, when there might be a risk to your account. With it on, you get a code every time you sign in on a device that is not trusted.

Can I turn off two-step verification without signing in?

No. The setting is on the Security page, so you must be able to sign in. If you are locked out because you lost your verification method, you need to recover the account first with the sign-in helper or the recovery form.

How do I turn off two-step verification for Microsoft 365 at work?

For a work or school account, multi-factor authentication is controlled by the organisation. Only its IT administrator can change those requirements, so contact your IT team rather than looking for a personal setting.

Is it safe to turn off two-step verification?

It lowers your protection, because a stolen password alone becomes more useful to an attacker. If the real problem is a lost phone or an annoying method, replacing the method or adding a backup is usually a better fix than turning the feature off.