---
title: Disabling pairing for a specific authentication method
description: You can prevent users from pairing a specific authentication method, such as SMS, voice, or email. This is useful if you would like to phase out a specific method of authentication, without blocking existing users from authenticating.
component: pingid
page_id: pingid:pingid_service_management:pid_disabling_pairing_specific_authentication_method
canonical_url: http://docs.pingidentity.com/pingid/pingid_service_management/pid_disabling_pairing_specific_authentication_method.html
revdate: January 28, 2024
section_ids:
  about-this-task: About this task
  steps: Steps
  result: Result:
---

# Disabling pairing for a specific authentication method

You can prevent users from pairing a specific authentication method, such as SMS, voice, or email. This is useful if you would like to phase out a specific method of authentication, without blocking existing users from authenticating.

## About this task

If you disable the ability to pair a specific authentication method, it is it does not affect authentication for existing users, or the use of that authentication method as a backup authentication method. NOTE: This option is reversible. If pairing of an authentication type has been disabled, you can select the relevant pairing checkbox to re-enable pairing for that authentication type.

## Steps

1. In the PingID admin portal, go to **Setup → PingID → Configuration**.

2. In the **Authentication** section, go to **Alternate Authentication Methods**.

   ![A screen capture of the Alternate Authentication Methods section.](_images/vkb1564020562147.png)

3. In the **Pairing** column, clear the check box for each authentication type that you want to disallow pairing. Click **Save**.

   ### Result:

   After save is complete, users that want to pair a device no longer see the option to pair with the disallowed device. Existing users can continue to authenticate if already paired with that authentication method.

   |   |                                                                                                                                                      |
   | - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
   |   | The **Enable** check box must remain selected so that users already paired with that authentication method can continue to authenticate with PingID. |