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Enable and use Temporary Access Pass in Azure AD

  • October 13, 2022
  • 5 min read
IT and Virtualization Consultant. Romain is specializing in Microsoft technologies such as Hyper-V, System Center, storage, networking, and MS Azure. He is a Microsoft MVP and MCSE in Server Infrastructure and Private Cloud.
IT and Virtualization Consultant. Romain is specializing in Microsoft technologies such as Hyper-V, System Center, storage, networking, and MS Azure. He is a Microsoft MVP and MCSE in Server Infrastructure and Private Cloud.


A Temporary Access Pass (TAP) is a time-limited passcode issued by an admin that satisfies strong authentication requirements (Microsoft definition). TAP can be used in two different contexts:

  • When onboarding a user to register another authentication method (such as Microsoft Authenticator or FIDO2)
  • When a user recovers a lost or a forgotten of their strong authentication method (for example a user lost FIDO2 key)

TAP is a passwordless authentication methods like a FIDO2 or a Passwordless phone sign-in through Microsoft authenticator. So TAP helps to register a passwordless authentication methods without users specify a personal E-mail address or a mobile phone at the first registration.

From my point of view, it is a good method to onboard new user in a company. We can provide a TAP password to this user for his first log in. Then he can register a passwordless authentication method. TAP helps to embrace a full passwordless world.

In this topic, we’ll see how to enable TAP and how to create a TAP for a user.

Enable Temporary Access Pass

First open your Azure AD and navigate to Security > Authentication Methods. Then in Policies, select Temporary Access Pass.

Temporary Access Pass

Enable Temporary Access Pass and choose a target.

Enable Temporary Access Pass settings

In Configure, you can change the lifetime and the length of the TAP. You can also set TAP to be used one time or several time.

In Configure, you can change the lifetime and the length of the TAP

Enable a TAP for a user

In Azure AD navigate to users, a select a user. In Authentication methods, click on Add authentication method.

Authentication methods

In the next screen, you can delay start time of the TAP. For example, you know that a new employee is coming next Monday, you can delay the TAP for the next Monday. You can also choose the TAP activation duration and if the TAP is useable one time or several time.

Add authentication method

A pass is generated and Microsoft provide a link to go to security info in Azure AD profile.

Temporary Access Pass details

Use Temporary Access Pass

In the following screenshot (sorry for French screenshot), I use TAP in Autopilot process. So the user specify his E-mail address.

Autopilot process

Then the user can type their Temporary Access Pass.

Temporary Access Pass

After that the user is asked to register Microsoft Authenticator or a FIDO2 key. If you use Microsoft Authenticator, I recommend heavily to configure Microsoft Authenticator from the smartphone to get passwordless authentication.

Microsoft Authenticator

Hey! Found Romain’s article helpful? Looking to deploy a new, easy-to-manage, and cost-effective hyperconverged infrastructure?
Alex Bykovskyi
Alex Bykovskyi StarWind Virtual HCI Appliance Product Manager
Well, we can help you with this one! Building a new hyperconverged environment is a breeze with StarWind Virtual HCI Appliance (VHCA). It’s a complete hyperconverged infrastructure solution that combines hypervisor (vSphere, Hyper-V, Proxmox, or our custom version of KVM), software-defined storage (StarWind VSAN), and streamlined management tools. Interested in diving deeper into VHCA’s capabilities and features? Book your StarWind Virtual HCI Appliance demo today!