tl;dr: I have switched phone and operating system: Android 8.0 --> Android 10.0. Phone restored from backup, so all the remaining is the same except for Microsoft Authenticator that now requires fingerprint scan. Does this truly increase security? Or is this only an irritating addition?
I have crashed my phone, but changed it to nearly identical. I have the same:
- family: Motorola Moto Z2 Play → Motorola One,
- hardware: both phones equipped with fingerprint scanner,
- software and settings: new phone "recovered" from Google cloud backup.
The only change is system version: Android 8.0 → Android 10.0.
When I am accessing my Office 365 apps, I have to go through 2FA: Microsoft Account login + Microsoft Authenticator approval.
Under Android 8.0 I had to:
- slide down notification area to reveal "Approve" shortcut button,
- tap that button.
And I was authenticated and had access to my Office 365 apps.
Under Android 10.0 I now have to:
- tap that notification (because sliding down does not reveal any shortcut buttons; notification type change?),
- tap "Approve" button in presented popup window,
- touch my fingerprint scanner's sensor.
Why this change? Does adding additional step of using fingerprint scanning comes from:
- Android 10.0,
- Microsoft Authenticator version available for Android 10.0,
- my company policy change after I have registered Android 10.0's phone
- or something else?
Does this really increase security in anyway? Should I consider my authentication access under Android 8.0 less secure, if I wasn't required to touch fingerprint scanner's sensor when authenticating there?
Or maybe the entire question is based on a false assumption. That was a company policy change that changed in exact day when I crashed my phone. And I would be forced to use fingerprint scanner under Android 8.0 as well from that moment on, provided that I would not crash my phone?