My Microsoft Authenticator app is no longer working and I'm logged out

Question

My Microsoft Authenticator app is no longer working and I'm logged out

Denise Beardon 20

I have been unable to access my business Microsoft account for five days following a password change on OneDrive. During the authentication process, the Microsoft Authenticator app failed to function properly, resulting in account lockout.

Attempts to resolve the issue by uninstalling and reinstalling the app have been unsuccessful. The app only offers verification via a code within the app, creating a loop with no alternative options.

A support case has been raised with Microsoft IT, but it has been classified as non-urgent. I would like to escalate the severity of this case, as I am currently unable to operate without access to my account.

It appears that the issue could be resolved by resetting the Authenticator app settings in Entra. Although I may be the Global Administrator, I do not have access to Entra and have been unable to reach the appropriate support personnel.

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Hi @Denise Beardon,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

Thank you for contacting us regarding the issue you're experiencing with your account sign in.

To help determine the best solution for your situation, could you please confirm if there is another Global Administrator in your company? If yes, you can ask the other admin to reset password and MFA via Admin Center (Browser Cache Method) of your account by following the steps below:

Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center with their Global Admin account
Locate your account and go to Authentication methods

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Select “Revoke multifactor authentication session”

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Then choose "Require re-register multifactor authentication".

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Once this is done, you’ll be prompted to set up MFA again on your new device during your next sign-in.

In the meantime, I have initiated a private message for your convenience. At your earliest availability, kindly provide your ticket ID within that message. I’ll be happy to check internally on your behalf to ensure your case is routed to the appropriate team with the authority to assist you further.

Note: To ensure your privacy and security, kindly submit your case number exclusively through the private message.

To access your private messages, sign in to the Q&A forum using the account you used to post your question. Then, navigate to the Private Messages section to view and respond.

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Note: We appreciate your understanding regarding the scope of support available through this forum. As moderators, our role is to provide general guidance and assist with common troubleshooting steps. While we do not have access to internal systems or administrative tools required to resolve account-specific or backend-related issues but we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities.

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this.

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

I'm looking forward for your reply.

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2 additional answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Stefan Blom 351.3K MVP Volunteer Moderator

If you are a business customer, you should contact the data protection team. They should be able to restore access. Start at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/customer-service-phone-numbers-c0389ade-5640-e588-8b0e-28de8afeb3f2 .

Denise Beardon 20 Reputation points

2025-10-03T05:26:35.9166667+00:00

Thanks @Stefan Blom - I went the route you've suggested and managed to raise a ticket. One week later and I'm still waiting for a response. The issue seems to be treated as low priority even though I'm completely locked out and can't operate as a business.
Stefan Blom 351.3K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-10-03T18:47:36.26+00:00

According to reports in the Q&A forums, these things often take time, unfortunately.
Denise Beardon 20 Reputation points

2025-10-03T19:06:35.1133333+00:00

Hi Stefan, do you have an estimate on how long it might take based on the forum comments?
Stefan Blom 351.3K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-10-03T19:27:15.3733333+00:00

Sorry, I don't know how long it might take.

Answer 2

Customer who launched this discussion stated " .. unable to access business Microsoft account .. Microsoft Authenticator app failed to function properly .. " I've encountered nearly the exact same issue except there is no identified cause for why authenticator is not functioning. Only able to successfully attempt to access support persons by logging into a separate Microsoft account, after which I was able to access 'chat' through the dedicated sales page that doesn't assume current customer status and prompt for admin login before even able to access any communication with Microsoft. The chat agent could not assist after understanding the issue, only refer me out to options which have been unsuccessful due to needing access to the admin account. The chat person successfully extended a call for transferring to 'correct person' .. The call transfer resulted to another call transfer. No one was able to assist because 'case number doesn't exist' . Sounds like an internal issue that should be promptly resolved in order to provide assistance for a product that takes regular payment. If no case number even exists because I have not been able to even access the account to log in and create one, and not all Microsoft employees are equipped to create a case number, Microsoft is yet aware of the request for support due to the contact form message I submitted 2 Oct, 2025 via info.microsoft.com/ww-landing-microsoft-365-contact-me.html . This submitted comment is now the second form of documented notification for an issue Microsoft has yet to even address for a product they receive ongoing payment for.