Solved Why is MS all of a Sudden requiring to have an Alternate email address?

win11freak · 2026-08-30T01:09:27-0400

I was going to create a MS account but all of a sudden I prompted to create another email address to get the verification codes.
This is NONSENSE as Email Verification codes are not secure as they can be bypassed and i do not feel like creating another email just to get these codes.

Why not just use passkeys along with the Microsoft Authenticator app which are more secure. Why go with the old fashion of having Email verification codes?

At least a phone number option would have been more acceptable . But still not secure.

So eventually, I stayed with my other email account.

FreeBooter · 2026-08-30T02:21:48-0400

Microsoft requires an alternative email or phone number during sign-in when it triggers a "Help us secure your account" prompt, and there is no way to permanently bypass this step.

SlicEnDicE · 2026-08-30T02:32:48-0400

Because they ran out of emails to collect and now they need your help to collect more.
[TROLL]

No, seriously, FreeBooter is right. It is a way to help you recover a lost account.

win11freak · 2026-08-30T02:43:36-0400

Can I just create a temporary throw away alternate email account just to continue with the setup and then after that delete the throw away email account?

XxXxX · 2026-08-30T03:23:50-0400

i use my wifes hotmail email as verification and on my wifes system my hotmail email is used as verification
for us it just keeps things simple and inhouse.

best of luck Steve ..

win11freak · 2026-08-30T03:26:16-0400

Can I just create a temporary throw away alternate email account just to continue with the setup and then after that delete the throw away email account?

XxXxX · 2026-08-30T03:31:42-0400

win11freak said:
Can I just create a temporary throw away alternate email account just to continue with the setup and then after that delete the throw away email account?

only trouble with a throwaway email account is next time they ask to send a verification to that account it will no longer exist
an alternative permanent email account would be a better choice otherwise you could lock yourself out of your own account

edit.
reason .. when i updated my wifes PIN they asked to send a verification code which was sent to my account.
best of luck Steve ..

idgat · 2026-08-30T03:54:07-0400

I just love it when users don't hesitate to jump in for free email account, but when they see service provider's conditions, all of a sudden it's ... "Why do I have to ...", " Why can't I just ....", "Why do they need ...."

Plain and simple ... security.

win11freak said:
Can I just create a temporary throw away alternate email account just to continue with the setup and then after that delete the throw away email account?

You can, but I guarantee with that thought, you'll be back here sometime in the future with ... "Help. I can't get into my MS account because (insert any number of reasons) and they want the email ...."

On the other hand, come to think of it, you probable could create a temporary throw away account ... but they'll probably want a verification account for that. You can see where I'm going here ....

win11freak · 2026-08-30T04:24:02-0400

idgat said:
I just love it when users don't hesitate to jump in for free email account, but when they see service provider's conditions, all of a sudden it's ... "Why do I have to ...", " Why can't I just ....", "Why do they need ...."

Plain and simple ... security.

You can, but I guarantee with that thought, you'll be back here sometime in the future with ... "Help. I can't get into my MS account because (insert any number of reasons) and they want the email ...."

On the other hand, come to think of it, you probable could create a temporary throw away account ... but they'll probably want a verification account for that. You can see where I'm going here ....

Plain and simple ... security.

I also don't think that sending security verification codes over email and SMS text messages is good security practice.

win11freak · 2026-08-30T04:29:00-0400

XxXxX said:
only trouble with a throwaway email account is next time they ask to send a verification to that account it will no longer exist
an alternative permanent email account would be a better choice otherwise you could lock yourself out of your own account

edit.
reason .. when i updated my wifes PIN they asked to send a verification code which was sent to my account.
best of luck Steve ..

If modifying or updating any security details then they should just leave the option to verify by Authenticator app or a passkey.

Email and text verification codes are not secure and they should remove this option.

jimbo45 · 2026-08-30T04:38:20-0400

Some of this security just gets too much these days for ordinary home machines e.g rediculous multi request for confirmation via codes that are sent to phones etc (and never arrive) when you do online shopping etc -- It's bonkers, annoying etc -- When security gets this rediculous people just try and avoid the whole thing -- in any case who these days keeps any sort of sizeable sum of money in a current bank account now -- I can understand this for businesses etc but home users ??? .

What's 99% worse is the nonsense of dealing with customer services when you always seem to have to phone (usually to some horrible call centre) -after say getting an email -- but you can never reply to these emails by email -- and people are against all sensible advice given on the planet by nearly every financial regulatory body on Earth in democratic countries forced into making financial arrangements over the phone -- BONKERS !!!!!!!.

I'm sure people these days with so many subscriptions / other regular payments etc may have missed one or two and got the email - please contact xxxx to "regularise" the account - but NO WAY to arrange this other than by phone !!!!!.

Cheers
jimbo

Edwin · 2026-08-30T05:12:45-0400

'If I lose access to my sign-in info!?!?!?'
How the feck is that gonna happen??? I have it written down on a piece of paper!!!
Nonsense!!!

BruceR · 2026-08-30T05:58:00-0400

win11freak said:
I also don't think that sending security verification codes over email and SMS text messages is good security practice.

win11freak said:
Email and text verification codes are not secure and they should remove this option.

Microsoft no longer uses SMS text messages for account recovery:

Microsoft to stop sending SMS codes for personal accounts

Passkeys by default and retirement of Microsoft-provided SMS and voice authentication

altae · 2026-08-30T07:08:21-0400

Edwin said:
View attachment 181284

'If I lose access to my sign-in info!?!?!?'
How the feck is that gonna happen??? I have it written down on a piece of paper!!!
Nonsense!!!

Have you ever dealt with non tech-savvy people? I sometimes support friends and relatives and I always tell them: "These are your login credentials, write them down you might need them in the future". And when the day finally comes and they need the login credentials they neither remember their password nor do they find the piece of paper onto which they wrote down the login credentials. So yes, a recovery e-mail address is definitely a good idea.

Helmut · 2026-08-30T07:12:55-0400

The Recovery Email address part has been a requirement for many years and not only on Outlook/Hotmail Email Accounts.
Many other free Email accounts are the same.

win11freak said:
Can I just create a temporary throw away alternate email account just to continue with the setup and then after that delete the throw away email account?

That is just shooting yourself in the foot.

win11freak said:
I also don't think that sending security verification codes over email and SMS text messages is good security practice.

Probably not, but it's more about complying with their requirements in the simplest way to keep a free Email Account.

Edwin · 2026-08-30T07:28:10-0400

altae said:
they neither remember their password nor do they find the piece of paper onto which they wrote down the login credentials.

Idiots!!!

altae · 2026-08-30T07:32:38-0400

I agree but this does not help. Unlike a recovery e-mail address which does help in such a situation :lmao:

Edwin · 2026-08-30T07:46:30-0400

I have all my credentials written down in a physical notebook...,

I also have them in an encrypted Notepad on the PC...

... I have the same on my Phone...

... and, I have the most important, most frequently used ones firmly engrafted into my brain!!!

altae · 2026-08-30T07:55:40-0400

I use KeePassXC for all my login data. The database is synced on multiple devices (phone, tablet, laptop, desktop) using my self hosted Nextcloud. This means I only have to remember the password for my KeePassXC database. But that's us people who are into computers and tech in general. Ordinary people on the other hand are often far less careful when it comes to passwords.

Marie SWE · 2026-08-30T09:09:09-0400

Use a local account and problem solved.. no email or phone-number needed.

Solved Why is MS all of a Sudden requiring to have an Alternate email address?

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