Forget long usernames and complex passwords. Just scan the QR code and enter your PIN for quick and easy sign-in on shared devices.
Hello friends,
Today I’m announcing the public preview of QR code authentication in Microsoft Entra ID. This new feature is designed to make signing in faster and easier for frontline workers.
Frontline workers have consistently expressed the need for simpler ways to sign in. One of the major pain points they face is the cumbersome process of signing in to apps on shared devices. Our solution addresses two key needs:
- Quick access to essential applications on shared work devices
- Simple and secure authentication without the need for usernames and passwords
QR code authentication in Microsoft Entra ID enables faster, easier, and secure sign-in to apps on shared devices by eliminating the need to remember and type in usernames and passwords. Now, frontline workers can scan the unique QR code provided to them and enter their personal PIN to sign in. This is an especially exciting development for organizations employing shared devices, as it doesn’t require provisioning to any specific device.
Simplify sign-in for frontline workers with QR code authentication
To illustrate the impact that QR code authentication can have on worker productivity, let’s walk through an example.
Contoso Industries is a retail company with stores across Europe, each employing up to 20 frontline workers. These workers use shared mobile devices (iPads, Android, or iOS) for daily tasks, such as searching or updating the inventory and processing billing transactions. Currently, each user must sign in to apps on each shared device using a username and password. This process is time-consuming and frustrating, requiring workers to repeatedly reauthenticate on shared device apps with usernames and passwords during each shift.
Contoso decided to address this by setting up QR code authentication for this group of users instead. Contoso first introduced QR code authentication for one of the stores and plans to extend it to other stores.
Let’s see how Contoso made it happen in a few simple steps!
Figure 1: QR code authentication provisioning and sign-in process
1. Set up QR code authentication method
Tim, Contoso's IT admin, begins by enabling QR code authentication for one of the store’s frontline workers like he would for any other method in Microsoft Entra. Then, he adds that method for that specific store’s frontline workers, generating a unique QR code and temporary PIN for each user. Additionally, he implements Microsoft Entra Conditional Access policies with QR code authentication to restrict workers' access to Contoso's resources on compliant devices within the store.
Finally, he delegates management of QR code authentication of existing and new employees via My Staff to Katie, the manager of this store. Katie prints the QR codes on labels, which will be attached to worker’s badges.
Learn more about how to enable QR code authentication
2. Sign in with QR code authentication method
Kelly, a frontline worker, gets her QR code label and temporary PIN from her manager. She puts the label behind her badge, scans the QR code, and sets a new PIN for QR code authentication when signing into Teams. This works for Kelly and other frontline workers on any shared device in their store.
Figure 2: Scanning the QR code to sign in to Teams using a frontline worker’s shared device camera.
What customers and partners are saying
During the development of this feature, we collaborated with multiple organizations to refine the experience. Here’s what some people had to say:
“During testing, QR code + PIN sign-in has shown tremendous potential to simplify the sign-in process for frontline workers using shared mobile devices, while maintaining high security standards. We look forward to implementing this in Managed Home Screen app, enhancing both efficiency and security for our users”
-David ESPIN, C&A
“The new QR code auth method in Entra ID simplifies the end user authentication flow on mobile devices. In combination with Entra shared device mode, frontline workers are able to get access to their business apps in a convenient and password less way. This solution effectively addresses the critical need for a secure and user-friendly authentication method, ensuring that frontline workers can perform their tasks efficiently and securely”
-Janic Verboon, baseVISION AG
We love hearing from you about how you’re using Microsoft Entra and how we could make it better going forward. Please share your feedback through the Microsoft Entra forum or by tagging @MSFTsecurity on X!
Robin Goldstein
Partner, Director of Product Management, Microsoft Identity
Read more about Entra QR Code
- QR code authentication in Entra ID
- QR code authentication management in My Staff
- Best practices to protect frontline workers
Learn more about Microsoft Entra
Prevent identity attacks, ensure least privilege access, unify access controls, and improve the experience for users with comprehensive identity and network access solutions across on-premises and clouds.
Updated Mar 11, 2025
Version 5.0
Robin Goldstein
Microsoft
Microsoft
