Microsoft Entra ID
AuthenticationChoose a telephony provider for SMS and voice authentication
In brief
The page now uses “Choose Your Own Telephony Provider” instead of “customer-managed telephony providers,” updates wording throughout, and changes its date to August 5, 2026. It retains the stated availability dates: provider information from September 18, 2026, and configuration from October 30, 2026.
What Entra admins need to know
Administrators should use the updated terminology when planning SMS or voice authentication. The capability is still not available to configure; the page continues to describe provider selection, agreements, configuration, and service monitoring responsibilities.
This editorial summary was generated by AI from the documentation changes. Verify important details in the full Microsoft Learn article.
Documentation change
View on Microsoft LearnThe comparison below shows only the changed extract. Use the full-page view for complete context.
Choose a telephony provider for SMS and voice authentication
Microsoft Entra ID will support customer-managed telephony providers forChoose Your Own Telephony Provider, which lets organizations that need to continue using SMS or voice authentication.authentication with a supported telephony provider. You select a telecommunicationstelephony provider through the Microsoft Security Store and manage the provider relationship for your organization.
Microsoft recommends phishing-resistant authentication methods, such as passkeys, instead of SMS or voice. Use a telephony provider only for user populations that have a business, regulatory, or technical requirement for telephony-based authentication.
How Choose Your Own Telephony Provider works
Your selected telephony provider delivers the SMS messages or voice calls that users need to complete authentication. Microsoft Entra ID continues to enforce your authentication method policies and coordinates the authentication experience.
Your organization is responsible for selecting a telephony provider, reviewing its regional coverage and terms, completing the provider agreement, configuring the provider for Microsoft Entra ID, and monitoring the service.
For the full transition schedule, see Passkeys by default and retirement of Microsoft-provided SMS and voice authentication.
Plan your provider adoptionChoose Your Own Telephony Provider deployment
Before you select a provider:
- Identify the users who have a documented requirement for SMS or voice authentication.
- Confirm that a phishing-resistant method doesn't meet the requirement.
- Compare
provider availability,supported telephony providers based on geographic coverage, supported delivery channels, pricing, support, security, and compliance capabilities. - Review procurement, privacy, and regulatory requirements with the appropriate teams in your organization.
Plan a pilot with a limited group before you expand deployment.Prepare a fallback authentication method and support process for delivery interruptions.
Next steps
@@ -1,40 +1,38 @@ --- title: Choose a telephony provider for SMS and voice authentication-description: Learn about customer-managed telephony providers for SMS and voice authentication in Microsoft Entra ID.+description: Learn about Choose Your Own Telephony Provider for SMS and voice authentication in Microsoft Entra ID. ms.topic: concept-article-ms.date: 08/04/2026+ms.date: 08/05/2026 ai-usage: ai-generated -# Customer intent: As an identity administrator, I want to understand customer-managed telephony providers so that I can plan continued use of SMS or voice authentication.+# Customer intent: As an identity administrator, I want to understand Choose Your Own Telephony Provider so that I can plan continued use of SMS or voice authentication. --- # Choose a telephony provider for SMS and voice authentication -Microsoft Entra ID will support customer-managed telephony providers for organizations that need to continue using SMS or voice authentication. You select a telecommunications provider through the Microsoft Security Store and manage the provider relationship for your organization.+Microsoft Entra ID will support Choose Your Own Telephony Provider, which lets organizations continue using SMS or voice authentication with a supported telephony provider. You select a telephony provider through the Microsoft Security Store and manage the provider relationship for your organization. Microsoft recommends phishing-resistant authentication methods, such as [passkeys](concept-authentication-passkeys-fido2.md), instead of SMS or voice. Use a telephony provider only for user populations that have a business, regulatory, or technical requirement for telephony-based authentication. > [!IMPORTANT]-> Customer-managed telephony providers aren't available to configure yet. Provider information becomes available beginning September 18, 2026, and configuration becomes available beginning October 30, 2026.+> Choose Your Own Telephony Provider isn't available to configure yet. Provider information becomes available beginning September 18, 2026, and configuration becomes available beginning October 30, 2026. -## How telephony providers work+## How Choose Your Own Telephony Provider works -A customer-managed telephony provider delivers the SMS messages or voice calls that users need to complete authentication. Microsoft Entra ID continues to apply your authentication method policies and coordinates the authentication experience.+Your selected telephony provider delivers the SMS messages or voice calls that users need to complete authentication. Microsoft Entra ID continues to enforce your authentication method policies and coordinates the authentication experience. -Your organization is responsible for selecting a provider, reviewing its regional coverage and terms, completing the provider agreement, configuring the provider for Microsoft Entra ID, and monitoring the service.+Your organization is responsible for selecting a telephony provider, reviewing its regional coverage and terms, completing the provider agreement, configuring the provider for Microsoft Entra ID, and monitoring the service. For the full transition schedule, see [Passkeys by default and retirement of Microsoft-provided SMS and voice authentication](concept-sms-voice-retirement.md). -## Plan your provider adoption+## Plan your Choose Your Own Telephony Provider deployment Before you select a provider: - Identify the users who have a documented requirement for SMS or voice authentication. - Confirm that a phishing-resistant method doesn't meet the requirement.-- Compare provider availability, geographic coverage, supported delivery channels, pricing, support, security, and compliance capabilities.+- Compare supported telephony providers based on geographic coverage, supported delivery channels, pricing, support, security, and compliance capabilities. - Review procurement, privacy, and regulatory requirements with the appropriate teams in your organization.-- Plan a pilot with a limited group before you expand deployment.-- Prepare a fallback authentication method and support process for delivery interruptions. ## Next steps