How to enable ahead login (switching users from Entra ID to ahead ID)

How to switch Entra ID users to ahead login for easier access

What is ahead login?

ahead allows you to change a user's login method from Microsoft Entra ID to ahead ID. This means users will no longer rely on Microsoft to access ahead and can instead log in using a username and password managed within ahead.

Once the switch is complete and the user has onboarded, their Entra ID account can be removed if it's no longer needed.

Why enable ahead login?

Switching users to ahead login can be helpful for several reasons:

• Reduce license costs for Entra ID, especially for frontline workers who don’t use Microsoft 365

• Provide easier login with self-service password setup and reset

• Offer a backup login option in case Microsoft services are down and you need a communication channel

Which ID providers can be switched?

Only users currently using Microsoft Entra ID can be switched to ahead login.

How to enable ahead login

1. Select the users

First, go to the Users tab and select the users you want to switch—either individually or in bulk. To make selection easier, use the 'ID Provider' filter and choose 'Entra ID' to narrow down the list to eligible users.

2. Start the switch

Click Choose action > Enable ahead login.

A confirmation modal will appear. Confirm and Press 'enable'. The selected users’ status will change to Migrating.

If users who are not eligible are selected, the action will appear disabled.

3. Send onboarding invitations

Once users are marked as "Migrating," you need to onboard them by sending an email invitation. This allows them to set their password for ahead login.

• Filter by Status → Migrating to find these users.

• Start onboarding for them in bulk or individually

👉For full onboarding instructions, see: Sending email onboarding invitations

Note: It's possible that a user who received an onboarding email (and is therefore marked as Pending) continues to log in using their Microsoft account instead of setting up ahead login. In this case, their status will remain Pending or Verified until they log in for the first time using their ahead username and password. Once they do, their status will update to Onboarded.

In-app notification for logged in users

If an Entra ID user is logged into ahead when the switch happens, they’ll see a message in the app prompting them to check their email and set a new password. This screen will continue to appear every time they reload the app, as long as their status remains 'Pending'.

What to do with the Entra ID accounts

Once users have completed onboarding and are using ahead login, you can safely delete their Entra ID accounts if they are no longer needed.

Until you delete the Entra ID accounts, users can still log in using either their Microsoft or ahead credentials.

Additional notes

• If a user had a profile photo linked to their Entra ID, it will be preserved after switching to ahead login.