Combined Authentication release notes for upgrades from Xanadu to Yokohama

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated July 20, 2026
  • 4 minutes to read
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    Summary of Combined Authentication release notes for upgrades from Xanadu to Yokohama

    This consolidated release note details the Authentication-related updates ServiceNow customers need to know when upgrading from the Xanadu to the Yokohama release. It covers new features, changes, deprecations, and important upgrade considerations to help ensure a smooth transition and enhanced security capabilities.

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    Key Features

    • Continuous Authentication (Yokohama): Enables step-up authentication or re-authentication before users access sensitive or high-privilege information, improving security controls.
    • OAuth Enhancements (Yokohama): Supports additional OAuth grant types for outbound integrations via MID Server, including Authorization code, resource owner password credential, SAML bearer, and JWT bearer. Also supports Personal Auth through the MID Server.
    • MFA Enhancements:
      • Xanadu: Supports FIDO2 authenticators, passkeys, biometric authenticators, and hardware security keys as MFA factors without requiring an authenticator app.
      • Yokohama: MFA enforcement is mandatory for all non-SSO logins to ServiceNow, strengthening login security.
    • OAuth Token Management Improvements (Yokohama Patch 7 and Patch 11): Options to use opaque or JWT tokens for inbound integration endpoints, and enhanced API access control scoped to selected OAuth scopes.
    • Provider Name Field (Yokohama): Allows better identification and monitoring of inbound integrations by specifying a provider name for OAuth and Basic authentication integrations.
    • AI Voice Service Authentication (Yokohama Patch 11): Introduces authentication factors to enable caller access to AI voice agents.

    Changes

    • Xanadu: Introduction of advanced MFA factors without app setup.
    • Yokohama: Enforcement of MFA for all non-SSO users accessing ServiceNow.

    Deprecations

    • Xanadu: MultiSSO v1 plugin is deprecated; upgrade to MultiSSO v2 is required for SAML 2.0 and OpenID Connect (OIDC) integrations.
    • SAML 1.1 and OpenID SSO plugins are deprecated, requiring migration to MultiSSO v2.
    • Yokohama: No new deprecations reported.

    Upgrade and Activation Notes

    Authentication is active by default on the ServiceNow AI Platform for both Xanadu and Yokohama releases. Customers should review and complete pre- and post-upgrade tasks as outlined in the release notes to ensure proper functionality. The combined notes page is designed to assist in preparing for upgrades by summarizing relevant changes across releases.

    Additional Information

    • No updates were reported regarding browser requirements, accessibility, localization, or specific additional requirements for Authentication between Xanadu and Yokohama.

    ServiceNow customers upgrading to Yokohama can expect enhanced security through mandatory MFA enforcement, advanced OAuth integration capabilities, and continuous authentication mechanisms to protect sensitive data access. Careful attention to deprecated plugins and OAuth integration updates will help maintain seamless authentication workflows.

    Consolidated page of all release notes for Authentication from Xanadu to Yokohama.

    How to use this page

    To help you prepare for your upgrade, we have combined the cross-family Authentication release notes onto one page. Read this summary of the new features, changes, and updated information for your product from Xanadu to Yokohama.

    Tip:
    If there were no updates for a release notes section in a certain family release, we included a short note for your reference. For example, if a product did not have any updates in Tokyo, the row says "No updates for this release."

    Important information for upgrading Authentication to Yokohama

    Before you upgrade to Yokohama, review these pre- and post-upgrade tasks and complete the tasks as needed.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    		 No updates for this release.

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    New features

    Between your current release family and Yokohama, new features were introduced for Authentication.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    		 No updates for this release.

    Yokohama
    Continuous Authentication
    Use Continuous Authentication to require step-up authentication or re-authentication to the users before allowing access to sensitive or high-privilege information.
    OAuth Grant Types for MID Server
    Use the Authorization code, resource owner password credential, SAML bearer, and JWT bearer OAuth grant types of OAuth for outbound integration requests through the MID Server. Personal Auth is also supported through the MID server. MID Servers facilitate communication and data movement between a single ServiceNow® instance and external applications, data sources, and services.

    Changes

    Between your current release family and Yokohama, some changes were made to existing Authentication features.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu
    Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)
    Use the FIDO2 authenticator, passkeys, biometric authenticators, and hardware security keys as multi-factor authentication (MFA) factors without requiring an authenticator app setup.

    Yokohama
    Multi-factor authentication (MFA) enforcement
    MFA is mandated and is enforced to all the non-SSO login users accessing ServiceNow®.

    Removed

    Between your current release family and Yokohama, some Authentication features or functionality were removed.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    		 No updates for this release.

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Deprecations

    Between your current release family and Yokohama, some Authentication features or functionality were deprecated.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu
    • The MultiSSO v1 plugin is deprecated. Upgrade to MutliSSO v2 from MultiSSO v1. For more information on how to upgrade to MultiSSO v2, refer to the knowledge article MultiSSO v2 upgrade instructions [KB9756504] in the Now Support Knowledge Base.
    • The SAML 1.1 and SAML 1.1 Single Sign-On - Update 1 plugin is deprecated. The SAML-based identity providers (IdP) have already migrated to SAML 2.0. To use SAML 2.0, you must activate the MultiSSO v2 plugin and configure your identity provider.
    • The OpenID SSO plugin is deprecated. To use OpenID Connect (OIDC), you must activate the MultiSSO v2 and configure your OIDC-based identity provider.

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Activation information

    Review information on how to activate Authentication.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    Authentication is a ServiceNow AI Platform product that is active by default.

    Yokohama

    Authentication is a ServiceNow AI Platform product that is active by default.

    Additional requirements

    If any additional requirements were introduced or changed for Authentication we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    		 No updates for this release.

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Browser requirements

    If any specific browser requirements were introduced or changed for Authentication we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    		 No updates for this release.

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Accessibility information

    Review details on accessibility information for Authentication, such as specific requirements or compliance levels.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    		 No updates for this release.

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Localization information

    If there are specific localization considerations for Authentication we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    		 No updates for this release.

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Highlight information

    If there are specific highlight considerations for Authentication we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu
    • Use the FIDO2 authenticator, passkeys, biometric authenticators, and hardware security keys as multi-factor authentication (MFA) factors without requiring an authenticator app setup.

    See Authentication for more information.

    Yokohama
    Yokohama Patch 11
    Authentication factors for AI voice service
    Enable caller access to AI voice agents by configuring the required identification and authentication factors.
    OAuth enhancements
    Following are the OAuth enhancements:
    • Use Opaque or JWT token option for your inbound integration endpoints.
    • Use the Allow access only to APIs in selected scope option to enable access to the APIs that are explicitly listed in the selected scopes for your inbound integrations.
    • Use the OAuth Entity Resource tab for outbound integrations to configure resource parameters so they flow into the OAuth token request and are reflected in the token from your OAuth provider.
    Provider name for Inbound integrations
    Use the Provider name field to enter the details of your inbound integrations to distinguish between different inbound integrations on your ServiceNow AI Platform®. Update the Provider name in your API integrations to improve monitoring capabilities:
    • For OAuth integrations, update the provider name using the Provider name field. To know more, see OAuth Inbound.
    • For Basic authentication integrations, update the Provider name in the integration registration form.
    Yokohama Patch 7
    OAuth token enhancement
    Use Opaque or JWT token option for your inbound integration endpoints.
    Yokohama
    • Use Continuous Authentication to require step-up authentication or re-authentication to the users before allowing access to sensitive or high-privilege information.
    • Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) is enforced by default for all non-SSO login to ServiceNow®.
    • Use the Authorization code, resource owner password credential, SAML bearer, and JWT bearer OAuth grant types of OAuth for outbound integration requests through the MID Server.

    See Authentication for more information.