Getting a New Phone? Avoid Okta Lockout!

The holidays are often associated with deals on new phones, so it’s likely you’ve thought about buying one, or you have one on your wish list. Did you know that getting rid of your old phone could cause you to be locked out of Okta and JMU systems? Don’t worry, though, it’s totally avoidable!

Most people run the Okta Verify app on their phone and register it as the primary authenticator for their account. If you have listened to our warnings in the past, perhaps it’s the only authenticator you’ve registered... but that’s what you want to avoid! It’s best practice to have more than one authenticator registered with Okta.

Register a secondary Okta authenticator

If you have more than one authenticator, you can use one of your other authenticators to register your new phone at mylogin.jmu.edu. Examples of secondary authenticators you may register in addition to your primary phone include a backup phone, a Yubikey, or a tablet. If you'd like to add one, check out this article on setting up a phone, tablet, or Yubikey. You can also add your computer! The fastest way to enroll your computer is to set up Okta FastPass.

If your smartphone is your only registered authenticator

If you replace your smartphone, and it is the only device enrolled in Okta, DO NOT GET RID of your old phone before setting up your new one in Okta.  Once you complete the process, power off your old phone (to simulate no longer having it) and try logging into any JMU system (MyMadison, Canvas, email, etc.) on your new phone. If Okta Verify works on your new phone (either you get a push or you can use FastPass), you’re typically all set. To make certain, it's wise to keep using JMU systems for a day or two before resetting or erasing your old phone.