---
title: Authentication method management
description: The PingOne Connector manages all mapped email and SMS multi-factor authentication (MFA) attributes.
component: pingone
page_id: pingone:pingone_integration_kit:pf_p1_ik_authentication_method_management
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/integrations/pingone/pingone_integration_kit/pf_p1_ik_authentication_method_management.html
revdate: June 18, 2024
section_ids:
  nicknames: Nicknames
  mapping-attributes-to-nicknames: Mapping attributes to nicknames
  synchronization: Synchronization
  maximum-number-of-authentication-methods: Maximum number of authentication methods
---

# Authentication method management

The PingOne Connector manages all mapped email and SMS multi-factor authentication (MFA) attributes.

## Nicknames

PingOne assigns nicknames to authentication methods (also called devices) to identify them on user-facing screens, such as the device selection screen.

The PingOne Connector uses nicknames when provisioning and synchronizing a user's authentication methods.

The "managed" nicknames used by the provisioning connector are:

* `SMS 1`

  * `SMS 2`

  * `SMS 3`

* `Email 1`

  * `Email 2`

  * `Email 3`

* `Voice 1`

  * `Voice 2`

  * `Voice 3`

## Mapping attributes to nicknames

Each device nickname is associated with one attribute on the **Attribute Mapping** tab of the channel configuration. For example, the `Email 3` nickname holds the value of the `MFA Device Email 3` attribute.

You can map these attributes in the [Configuring a channel](pf_p1_ik_configuring_a_channel.html) procedure.

## Synchronization

When synchronizing a user's authentication methods, the provisioning connector behaves as follows:

**Synchronization scenarios**

| Scenario                                                                                           | Action                                                                                  |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| A device exists with a managed nickname, but the value does not match the value in the datastore   | The provisioner deletes and re-creates the device with the value from the datastore     |
| A value matches between PingOne and the datastore, but the device uses an unmanaged nickname       | The provisioner deletes and re-creates the device with the appropriate managed nickname |
| A device exists with an unmanaged nickname and the value does not match the value in the datastore | The provisioner does not make any changes                                               |

## Maximum number of authentication methods

Although the provisioning connector supports up to three SMS attributes, three email attributes, and three voice attributes, PingOne accepts a maximum of five authentication methods per user by default. This maximum can be adjusted in the [PingOne settings](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingone/authentication/p1_configure_mfa_settings.html).