Getting Back Into Your MSU Account After the October 2026 Reset

Objective


This guide was created to help MSU users with various account issues following the university's mandated password change which occurred in early October 2026.   Contents include the new password requirements, different ways to attempt a self-reset of your MSU password, and resolving issues with Okta MFA security methods.

 

Before You Begin

Your MSU Password

Beginning on October 1, 2026, Michigan State University changed its requirements for the central password used in many high-traffic websites such as D2L, EBS, SIS, and Spartan Mail.  While Okta is the central authentication system, this password is also known as the NetID password in other systems.


New Requirements

  • At least 15 characters
  • A lowercase letter
  • An uppercase letter
  • A number
  • No parts of your username
  • Does not include your first name
  • Does not include your last name
  • Your new password cannot be any of your last 24 passwords
  • 24 hours must have elapsed since your last password change



IMPORTANT:  To use the 'Forgot Password?' option most effectively, you should have an existing Secondary Email in Okta and/or a Phone number registered for Okta MFA.  Those topics are covered later in this guide.

Resetting a forgotten password, or your new/old MSU passwords are not working

  1. Browse to https://auth.msu.edu
  2. Enter your MSU-related email address and select Next
  3. Select Forgot password?
    • If instead you see the screen below, select Password and on the next screen you'll have the option for Forgot Password.
       
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  4. Select one of the following options:

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    • Phone to have a text message sent to the phone number you registered
      1. Enter the code sent to your phone via text message and then select Verify
      2. Create a new password in the 'New Password' field and then enter the new password again the Repeat Password field
      3. Select Reset Password
    • Email to have an email sent to the secondary email address you registered
      1. Check your email for the message from Okta
      2. Select the Reset Password link in that email
      3. Create a new password in the New Password field and then enter the new password again in the Repeat Password field
      4. Select Reset Password
  5. You're done!


NOTE: Students who do not have a secondary email or a phone number set up for MFA can still reset their password by re-activating their NetID.  They can use their MSU Student ID number (PID/APID) and four-digit PAN, which was originally obtained from the Admissions portal, at https://netid.msu.edu/activate.html.  NetID (re)activation will only change the existing password; it will not affect anything else within a person's account.
 

Adding, Updating, or Removing a Secondary Email Address in Okta

IMPORTANT:  You will need a working MSU password and at least one Okta MFA security method (Phone, Okta Verify app, biometric/security key) to modify this part of your account.  Brand new MSU accounts logging into Okta for the first time will have the opportunity to set a Secondary Email without going through the steps below.
 

  1. Navigate to auth.msu.edu
  2. Log in with your MSU-related email address and current MSU password
  3. Select your name in the upper right and choose Account settings

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  4. Look for a green button labeled [Edit Profile] in the upper-right corner and click on it.

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    You may be prompted to re-authenticate with the MSU password and/or your Okta MFA security method(s).
     
  5. Go to the section Personal Information and select Edit

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  6. Here, you can make changes to the Secondary email address in your Okta profile.  This field is always optional, but it is strongly recommended that you add a personal, non-MSU address for future self-resets.  Click Save when finished.

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Multifactor Authentication (MFA)

MSU accounts authenticate into Okta with a two-step process: first, the account password and then a multiple-digit code issued from a registered device or number (security method).  MSU Okta only supports the following security methods:

  • Okta Verify mobile app (Android, iOS)
  • Okta FastPass
  • Biometric or security key (Apple TouchID, Windows Hello, and/or USB hard tokens such as Yubikey)
  • Phone (SMS or Voice Call)

IMPORTANT: Michigan State University strongly recommends that MSU users, of any account type, register the Okta Verify mobile app as the primary security method for MFA.  Other methods should be regarded as backup options if there are problems with the Verify app.

Okta Verify is a free mobile app, available for Android and iOS devices, which can be installed on both smart phones and tablets.  The primary advantages of Okta Verify are:

  • Improved security compared to phone calls and SMS 
  • It does not rely on cellular service 
  • Can be used anywhere in the world with an internet connection 
  • Can quickly generate new Okta codes 
  • Supports push notification for faster login


Link to the MSU IT knowledge article:  How to Register the Okta Verify App for MFA
 

 

SMS codes do not arrive, or become invalid due to severe delivery delays

You may occasionally see delays in receiving security codes via SMS text message. This can be due to either mobile carrier issues or, in some instances, due to high volume use of the Okta SMS system. It is recommended that you use an alternate option such as the Okta Verify mobile app instead if you have one registered already. If you do not have any alternate options registered or available to you, and you experience a delay in receiving the codes via SMS, please see the recommendations below. 


Add the Okta Security Code Phone Number as a Contact

If you are no longer receiving the security codes through SMS text message, or voice call, please try saving the Okta security code phone number as a contact. When adding this number as a contact, please be sure to include the country code of 1 before the area code. 

Phone number to add as a contact: 1-517-515-7455

 

Have the Code Sent via Voice Call Instead

If you are not receiving the codes through SMS, you can have the codes sent through voice call instead. 

  1. When prompted to have the code sent you should see the options to ‘Send via SMS’ or ‘Receive a voice call instead.’ Select the voice call option and then answer the call when it comes through to receive the security code.
  2. If you instead see a box to enter the code as in the image below, select the option to ‘Verify with something else.’
  3. Select the Phone option, and then select ‘Receive a voice call instead.’

 

Once Logged in, Register Okta Verify as an Alternate MFA Credential 

After logging into your account successfully, it is recommended that you register at least one alternate credential for MFA. The Okta Verify mobile app is the preferred method whenever possible. Having more than one credential helps ensure that if your primary credential is not working or if you no longer have access to it, you will have a backup method you can use if you need to get logged in quickly.

  • Note: If you have a tablet or more than one smart phone, you can register the Okta verify mobile app on each of these devices.
  • For instructions on how to register each of the available MFA options, please see the following articles:

 

 

MSU Email Changes

 

EWS Retirement

As of October 1, 2026, Microsoft is retiring Exchange Web Services (EWS) which is an API that some third-party applications use to access MSU email and other Office365 resources.  It is being replaced by the new API, Microsoft Graph, which allows for more secure, reliable, and scalable connections.


How This Affects Your Email Apps

Any attempts to set up MSU email, using any of the apps listed below, on a new device will fail; Microsoft is now actively blocking new EWS connections.  Microsoft Graph is not currently supported on any of these applications.  *MSU is not able to enable Graph support.*
 

Important Deadlines 

October 1, 2026 - EWS retired by Microsoft.  Email connections on new devices will be blocked.  Existing EWS connections are not yet affected.

February 1, 2027 - MSU will no longer support any third-party email clients with EWS connections, new or existing.  MSU email on unsupported clients may stop functioning at any time.

 

Supported Email Clients:

  • Microsoft Outlook (Desktop app, Classic or New) 
    *Requires a current MSU faculty/staff/student license, or any Microsoft license associated with a personal subscription or from another organization.*
  • Outlook mobile app (Android, iOS)
  • Spartan Mail website client ('spartanmail.msu.edu' or 'outlook.office.com')

     


List of email applications which use EWS and will stop working after February 1, 2027:


NOTE: This list is not definitive and may change further.  Some vendors are already planning to update their apps to use Microsoft Graph.  

  • Apple Mail / MacOS(X) Mail / Mac Mail (desktop app only)
  • Older versions of Outlook, including Outlook 2019 and earlier
  • AirMail
  • Aqua Mail
  • BusyCal
  • Canary Mail
  • Cardhop for Mac
  • Cronofy
  • DavMail
  • Dynamo SyncAgentWeb
  • Edison Mail
  • eM Client
  • Fantastical for Mac
  • GNOME Evolution
  • Inteum-SendMailDelegated
  • Mailbird
  • Minskoff Crestron Room Schedulers
  • OfficeMail Pro
  • Robin
  • SalesforceIQ
  • Spark
  • Thunderbird
  • Zoom integrations

 

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