Objective:

Other accounts in Authenticator are used to add MFA profiles to Authenticator for vendor/third party websites that support MFA via authenticator apps. As Other accounts work differently than Microsoft Work or School accounts, understanding the difference can be helpful.

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About Other Accounts:

Important - The Microsoft Authenticator app can be used on any website that supports Google Authenticator. If, for example, a vendor's website omits support for Microsoft Authenticator, and states support only for Google Authenticator and several others, simply choose Google Authenticator, and add the account/scan the QR code using Microsoft Authenticator instead. This works because both authenticator apps, in fact, support the same industry standards for MFA.

In all cases, adding a new Other account/profile to Authenticator involves a setup process on a third party's website that walks you through enabling the account in question for Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) via an authenticator app. While how that works for each third-party's website is different, enabling MFA for say, a login you have on a vendors' website, can often be found in the user preferences/profile for your user account on the third party's website.

During the enabling process, you'll have chosen either Microsoft or Google's Authenticator app as your MFA choice. While following the third party's directions, you'll eventually be looking at a QR Code like this example shown next. It's at this point where during these instructions on adding Other profiles to Authenticator, you'll be pointing your devices camera at the QR Code.

(Example Code)

After this step is completed, the third party's website will most likely request a code from the account profile just set up in Authenticator. Being mindful the code rotates every 30 seconds, simply enter code displayed in Authenticator, and that's it - authentication is complete!