Microsoft will be pulling the plug on its Microsoft Authenticator app for the Apple Watch in January. The company explained on a support page (via 9to5Mac) that watchOS won’t support security features coming in an update coming to Microsoft Authenticator next month.

“In the upcoming Authenticator release in January 2023 for iOS, there will be no companion app for watchOS due to it being incompatible with Authenticator security features. This means you won’t be able to install or use Authenticator on Apple Watch,” the company explained on the support page.

Microsoft originally launched its Microsoft Authenticator companion app for the Apple Watch back in 2017. The app currently allows users to approve sign-in notifications that require a PIN or biometric authentication on their Apple Watch without using the smartphone app. Alas, Microsoft is now recommending users to delete the Microsoft Authenticator companion app on their Apple Wach before it stops working next month.

The app ecosystem on watchOS certainly isn’t growing as fast as the iOS App Store or the Google Play Store. Microsoft continues to support its other Apple Watch apps including Outlook and OneNote, but other big names have also discontinued their Apple Watch companion apps in recent years. Uber dropped support for its Apple Watch app back in January 2022, while Instagram did so four years ago.

Tagged with Apple Watch, Microsoft, Microsoft Authenticator