Microsoft SharePoint Wants to Use Your Confidential Information- Security Guide
While working with Microsoft 365 apps regularly, I came across prompts that confuse many users, including me, and the main thing is that it says “confidential data.” One of the common prompts that people usually ask me for is Microsoft SharePoint wants to use your confidential information. At first, the pop-up scared most of us as it had confidential information mentioned. After seeing it, I assume that something risky or unsafe is going on.
Personally, working with SharePoint environments and Microsoft 365 permissions, I can say that this alert is normal and connected to secure identity verification. In this article, from my past experiences, I am going to explain why the prompt appears, what it really means, and share some practical troubleshooting steps that I follow to resolve it.
What Does the Prompt Actually Mean?
You will see this prompt when SharePoint or Microsoft 365 needs permission to access protected or confidential parts of your identity stored in macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager, or your organization’s authentication flow. Most of the users think that SharePoint is reading private files, but that’s not the case.
The pop-up usually means:
- Your device is trying to verify your identity for Microsoft 365.
- SharePoint wants permission to access your saved credentials.
- Sometimes due to when an authentication token expires.
- The password or session is old, and a refresh is required.
- Due to security reasons, macOS or Windows is blocking an app from accessing the Keychain or Credential Manager.
The thing is, SharePoint is checking whether the person who logged in is actually you or not. The alert Microsoft SharePoint wants to use your confidential information will help you protect your data from leaks or hacking.
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Why Does This Happen? Common Reasons I Encounter
Over the years, I have noticed that behind this prompt, there are many reasons. Understanding those first helps in troubleshooting faster and avoiding repeated interruptions that hamper your workflow.
- Microsoft 365 tokens expire from time to time, which is common, and when they do, the system needs to refresh access using your current store’s credentials.
- When you are signed in with multiple accounts for your personal work, office work, or guest, for security purposes, SharePoint may ask for extra confirmation.
- On macOS, Keychain restrictions can flag any app as suspicious that is trying to access account tokens. That can be the reason behind the alert.
- If you are signing in again from a new device or a browser with recently cleared cookies, SharePoint will ask you to log in again, which is a default setting.
- An organization’s conditional access policies can be the reason behind the alert, as they sometimes include strict security rules that lead to more frequent verification requests.
Till you get to know that Microsoft SharePoint wants to use your confidential information alert is not a threat; it just acts as a safety checkpoint. You can find duplicate files in SharePoint Online.
How to Fix the Issue Using Practical Methods
Here are the best effective ways to resolve the prompts so they don’t keep bothering you in the future, and I personally follow them as well:
1. Allow Access When Prompted
If you trust the app and are using an official Microsoft 365 environment, just simply click Allow or Always Allow.
This makes sure that SharePoint can store your token securely, and it will not ask you for permission as an alert.
2. Remove Old Credentials
Sometimes there is a glitch, and the system gets confused over outdated tokens or multiple accounts. To fix it.
On Windows:
- Open Credential Manager
- Go to Windows Credentials
- Remove old Office or SharePoint entries
On Mac:
- Open Keychain Access
- Search “Microsoft”
- Delete expired tokens
Once you have done that, sign in again.
Most of the time, it stops the message “Microsoft SharePoint wants to use your confidential information” from appearing repeatedly.
3. Reset Sign-in Information in Office Apps
You need to follow the steps inside apps like OneDrive, Word, or Teams:
- Go to Settings
- Sign out of all accounts
- Clear cache
- Sign in again
This refreshes authentication and fixes permissions.
4. Update Your Microsoft 365 Apps
Using an older or outdated version can cause conflicts.
- You need to update Office Suite
- You need to update OneDrive
- Refresh Microsoft Edge or your browser.
5. Check Organizational Policies
If you’re using a corporate account, then sometimes IT administrators may set an extra layer of security.
That is the time when you need to take the approval from them for SharePoint to access identity data. If your company uses Conditional Access, MFA, or app protection policies, these prompts are not a threat; it is just normal.
This explains that the prompt Microsoft SharePoint wants to use your confidential information is a normal thing in an enterprise setup.
Is the Prompt Dangerous? Should You Be Worried?
From a security standpoint, this pop-up is not dangerous at all.
If we simplify it, your system is just asking for permission to access credentials that are needed for authentication. SharePoint is not:
- Reading any of your personal files
- Accessing your local documents
- Taking any kind of passwords from your computer
- Sharing your private information with anyone.
It only wants access to Microsoft account tokens that push the login to proceed. After reading the cause and how to resolve, it is pretty much clear that Microsoft SharePoint wants to use your confidential information is just a standard security behaviour, not a threat.
How to Know If It Is Legit or Suspicious
This is a normal alert; however, I always recommend checking a few things:
It is safe if:
- It appears when you are logging in to Microsoft 365
- You are using official apps
- Your organization uses MFA or identity protection.
- It appears after you changed your password.
Be cautious if:
- You are not using Microsoft 365 or SharePoint
- If the pop-up looks unfamiliar, then it might be a phishing attempt.
- The URL or app name seems wrong
- You recently downloaded some unknown software from a suspicious source
My Personal Tips to Avoid Frequent Prompts
Working with SharePoint for years now, I have a few tricks that reduce authentication pop-ups that I personally use.
- Use a single Microsoft 365 account for each browser.
- Avoid using personal and business accounts at one time.
- Always use the updated version of OneDrive and Office.
- Always allow the system to remember your login.
- Clear outdated caches after every few months.
Following these good habits, you can reduce the alerts Microsoft SharePoint wants to use your confidential information.
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Author’s Verdict
As a working professional, facing this kind of alert can be annoying; I can totally understand this. But once you know the actual reason behind why they are popping up, they stop feeling like a threat and start making sense as a part of Microsoft’s standard security system.
The alert Microsoft SharePoint wants to use your confidential information simply means that SharePoint needs permission to verify your identity through stored credentials. By following the steps that I have shared above, you can easily resolve it and avoid repetition of the alert.
As we all know that SharePoint is a secure platform, and these messages exist to protect your account and not to leak any personal or confidential information. With the help of the right steps and proper guidance, you can continue working smoothly without compromising your workflow.
FAQ’s
Q. Does this mean that my data is at risk after I see this Pop-up?
No, it is a standard security process from Microsoft to verify your identity.
Q. Can I face this issue on Mac?
Yes, it is possible that you see this issue through Keychain Access on Mac devices.
Q. Is it okay if I update my password after seeing this alert?
Yes, it is safe, and most of the time, updating the password resolves the issue.
Q. Am I seeing this error because my credentials are outdated?
Yes, if your passwords are old or mismatched, it is possible that you will face this error.
Q. Why am I seeing “ Microsoft SharePoint wants to use your confidential information”?
It is not a threat, it’s just a security prompt asking for permission to access your saved credentials or keychain.