Keep Your Account Secure

Microsoft and Minnesota State are making sign-ins more secure. Follow a few simple steps and you will keep logging in to email, D2L Brightspace, and Zoom with no surprises.

1. Switch to the Microsoft Authenticator app

When you sign in, Microsoft checks that it is really you. Text message and phone call codes are going away. The free Microsoft Authenticator app replaces them. Most of the time, you just tap Approve.

Action needed by February 1, 2027

If you get a text or phone call when you sign in, switch to the app before this date. It only takes a few minutes.

Key dates

  • October 1, 2026You may be asked to update. You can pick "Skip for now," but why wait?
  • January 19, 2027The number of times you can skip will be limited.
  • February 1, 2027Text and phone call codes stop working.

How to switch

  1. On your phone, install the free Microsoft Authenticator app from the App Store or Google Play.
  2. On your computer, go to mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info and sign in.
  3. Select Add sign-in method, choose Microsoft Authenticator, and scan the QR code with the app.
  4. Next to Default sign-in method, select Change and pick the app. You are done!

How often will I have to verify?

On a device you use regularly, you will usually be asked about once every 180 days. You may be asked sooner if you update your device, clear your browser, or sign in from a new device or network. Keep your authenticator handy so you are never locked out.

No smartphone, or can't use your phone at school?

Many PSEO and concurrent enrollment students take classes at a high school that does not allow phones during the day. Some students do not have a smartphone at all. You can still sign in. Use an authenticator app on your school Chromebook or iPad instead. It shows a 6-digit code you type in when you sign in, and it works even without internet after setup.

Choose the app that fits your device:

Can't install apps on your school device? Ask your high school's tech office. Many districts can add the app for you.

To set it up:

  1. Install the authenticator app on your Chromebook or iPad.
  2. Go to mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info and sign in.
  3. Select Add sign-in method, choose Microsoft Authenticator, then select I want to use a different authenticator app.
  4. Scan the QR code with your app (or enter the code shown), then type in the 6-digit code to finish.
  5. Set this app as your Default sign-in method.

Need more detail? See Minnesota State's step-by-step guide for Google Authenticator.

High school staff and PSEO partners: Minnesota State has guidance for districts on putting authenticator apps on school-managed Chromebooks and iPads. Contact support@riverland.edu for a copy or help coordinating with your students.

2. New StarID password rules

No action needed right now

Your current password still works until it expires. The new rules apply the next time you change it.

Your next StarID password must:

  • Be 15 to 128 characters long
  • Use at least 3 of these 4: uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, special characters
  • Be a password you have not used before
  • Not include your first or last name (if it is longer than two letters)

Tip: String a few random words together, like Maple-Canoe-Sunrise-42. Long, but easy to remember. (Make up your own!)

Good news: once your password meets the new rules, you will no longer have to change it every 180 days.

Questions?

Email support@riverland.edu or visit the Riverland Help Center. We are happy to help.