Guidance on setting up web access to Office 365

These instructions explain how to access Microsoft 365 over the web, on a personal laptop or computer, making it easier to work from anywhere.

Using Microsoft 365 on the web gives you access to:

• Microsoft Office software, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Outlook for your work email account, including viewing attachments
• Teams, a communication tool for video meetings, audio calls and instant messaging and Microsoft's replacement for Skype for Business

The web versions of these tools differ in some ways from the desktop versions you may be used to on your council laptop or mobile device, but importantly they give you more choices about how you can work and connect with colleagues and customers.

More online Microsoft 365 tools will become available over the coming year. All Microsoft 365 tools are regularly updated with new features.

You can log in to Microsoft 365 on the web on your personal computer or laptop to use Outlook, Teams, or Skype, using your normal council login details.

We strongly recommend using Google Chrome to access Microsoft 365 online.

Setting up access to Microsoft 365 on a personal device

Before you can access Outlook, Teams, and other online Microsoft 365 tools on a personal device, you'll need to complete all steps in the following sections.

Step 1, featured in the next section, is setting up Microsoft Authenticator.  This is the key that lets you securely access Microsoft 365 over the web on different devices.

Once you've done this, you can use your normal network account to log in to the Microsoft Office homepage.

To set up web access to Microsoft 365 on a personal device, you'll need:

• a smartphone to install the Microsoft Authenticator app
• another computer or device that is connected to the council network

There are 3 steps:

1. Download the Microsoft Authenticator app
2. Generate a QR code on a computer not connected to the council network
3. Scan the QR code and set up email access

Setting up access to Microsoft 365 on a new phone

If you’ve got a new personal smartphone and you had previously downloaded Microsoft Authenticator onto your old phone, you'll need to contact the IT&D Service Hub. Let them know that you have a new mobile phone and need your Multi-Factor Authentication settings to be reset.

Depending on your phone, go to one of the following:

• Android phone - go to the google store 
• iPhone - go to the app store
• Windows phone - go to the app store

1. Download and install the mobile app called Microsoft Authenticator. You should see a new icon on your phone
2. You need to run the app and allow it to access your camera and notifications and to gather information if asked
3. Add your work account
4. Click add account and select the work or school account

At this point, the app is now waiting to scan a QR code.

1. On a council computer open the Microsoft Edge browser and go to the Microsoft Office homepage
2. If prompted to log in, type in your Brighton & Hove City Council email address and click the next button
3. Type in your Brighton & Hove City Council network password and click the sign-in button
4. Click your initials or your picture in the top right corner of the webpage and then click view account

    

   

    

5. Click security info from the menu on the left-hand side

    

   

    

6. If any sign-in methods already exist on the security info list, delete them

    

   

    

7. Click add sign-in method

    

   

    

8. From the add a method drop-down list, select authenticator app and then click add

    

   

    

9. Open the Microsoft Authenticator app on your phone
10. Tap the plus icon to the left of the magnifying glass

     

    

     

11. Tap work or school account

     

    

     

12. Tap scan a QR code

     

    

     

13. You may be prompted to allow access to the camera at this point
14. Back on the computer, a Start by getting the app screen and a Set up your account screen will appear, click next

     

    

     

     

    

     

15. Scan the QR code displayed on the computer screen with the Microsoft Authenticator app on your phone
16. Tap the next button
17. The webpage will then display a number, type this number into the prompt on your phone, you may need to unlock your phone to complete this step
18. A notification approved screen will appear on your computer, click the next button

     

    

     

19. Microsoft Authenticator has now been configured on your phone; you can now find it in the list of sign-in methods on the security info screen

     

    

     

20. When you now access any Microsoft 365 website on a non-council device, log in with your:

• Brighton & Hove City Council email address
• Brighton & Hove City Council password
• Microsoft Authenticator code

To scan a QR code:

1. open the Microsoft Authenticator App
2. scan the QR code displayed on the screen with your personal phone
3. if the authenticator app displays a 6-digit code, click next
4. click the finished button

You may be re-prompted to authenticate, if so, approve the request on your smartphone. Outlook Web Access (OWA) should load and display your inbox. 

If prompted about how you want to be notified in the future:

1. select the option to notify me through the app
2. click either the save or the finish button

Outlook Web App should then be displayed.

You're now able to access Microsoft 365 on your personal laptop or another device. You can log in on the Microsoft 365 homepage using your council network credentials. 

The connection will time out after 8 hours. After this time, you'll have to log in again.