Mobile & Remote · 4 guides
Phones and MFA codes
Work email on a phone, BYOD, missing MFA texts, and wiping a lost phone.
How to set up work email on my phone
Add your work mailbox on iOS or Android using the approved app.
You might notice
- You need mail away from the laptop
- The built-in mail app is blocked
- IT required Company Portal first
- 01
Install the required management app if your company uses one
Many organizations require Company Portal or a similar app and a device PIN before mail will flow. Enroll with your work account.
- 02
Install Microsoft Outlook, not a random mail client
Add your work email inside Outlook. Complete MFA. Personal Gmail apps are often not allowed for work data.
- 03
Accept the device PIN and encryption prompts
Work mail on a phone usually requires a PIN, biometrics, and the ability for IT to wipe work data if the phone is lost.
- 04
Keep work and personal profiles separate
On Android work-profile devices, install Outlook in the work profile. Do not move work files into personal photo albums.
Did this get you unstuck?
Using company apps on a personal phone
Understand what IT can see and wipe when you enroll a personal device.
You might notice
- You do not want a second phone
- You worry IT can read personal photos
- Enrollment asks for many permissions
- 01
Read the enrollment screen
On a personal phone, modern management usually wipes only the work profile or work apps, not your family photos. The screen lists what is in scope.
- 02
Use the approved apps
Outlook, Teams, and Company Portal are the normal set. Saving work attachments into personal cloud apps may be blocked.
- 03
Protect the device
Set a PIN, keep the OS updated, and do not jailbreak or root. Those states typically lose access.
- 04
Unenroll when you leave the company
Remove the work account so the next employer’s data is not mixed in. Ask IT if a leftover work profile remains.
Did this get you unstuck?
My phone is not receiving MFA codes
Text messages or authenticator pushes never arrive when you try to sign in.
You might notice
- Waiting for a text that never comes
- No push in the authenticator
- You are abroad and SMS is delayed
- 01
Prefer the authenticator app over SMS
Open the app and use a 6-digit code. SMS is slower and fails on some carriers and while roaming.
- 02
Check signal, Do Not Disturb, and blocked senders
A full inbox, spam filtering, or airplane mode will hide texts. Add reception and try again.
- 03
Confirm the phone number on your security info
An old number will never get the text. Update it while you still have another MFA method.
- 04
Use a backup method
A security key, another enrolled phone, or a temporary access pass from IT will get you in.
Did this get you unstuck?
How to wipe a lost phone remotely
Remove work data from a missing phone, or erase the device if it is company-owned.
You might notice
- Phone is missing
- You still see it in Company Portal
- It may still receive mail
- 01
Call IT and say whether it is personal or company-owned
IT can retire the work profile on a BYOD phone or fully wipe a corporate phone. The difference matters.
- 02
Use Find My or Find My Device if you still have access
Mark it lost and play a sound if it might be in the house. Do not delay the IT call while you search for long.
- 03
Change your work password
Do this even if the phone was locked. Mail and tokens on the device should die after the password and wipe.
- 04
Watch for unexpected MFA prompts
Deny them and tell IT. That can mean someone is trying the account.