Authenticator App issues

Question

I'm currently trying to access my college account through outlook and one drive and it sends my authenticator app an sign-in request which I never received. For the past year and a half to a year, it has worked perfectly fine, I could send the code, receive the code and approve it was me accessing my account. Since getting a new phone, I signed in which it sent a code to my old phone which I approved and it logged me in. However, from then, both phone authenticator apps have stopped working for where I send a sign-in request which I now never receive meaning I can't access my account. It doesn't bring up the one time verification code either. I am stuck in a loop for where I want to sign in but it sends me a request and for me to access that request I need to sign in. Could someone provide a little advice as it's for my college account which I need access to from home. Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi! Sorry to hear you’re having trouble with this. Please sign in to your account here: https://account.live.com/proofs/manage/additional

You’ll be asked to verify your identity. When it prompts for the Authenticator app approval, select “Use a different verification method” and choose any available option (SMS, alternate email, etc.).

Once you’re in, remove the old Authenticator app connection and then add the new one.

Answer 2

It sounds like you're experiencing issues with receiving sign-in requests on your authenticator app after switching to a new phone. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the problem:

1. Check Phone Settings: Ensure that notifications are enabled for the authenticator app on both your new and old phones. Sometimes, notifications can be blocked or turned off.
2. Verify Phone Numbers: Make sure that the phone numbers associated with your account are correct. If your old phone number is still linked, it may be sending requests there instead of your new phone.
3. Use Alternative Verification Methods: If you have set up other options for security verification, select Other verification options during the sign-in process and try again. This could include using a backup email or phone number if available.
4. Reinstall the Authenticator App: Sometimes, reinstalling the authenticator app on your new phone can resolve issues. Make sure to back up any necessary codes before doing this.
5. Contact Support: If the above steps do not resolve the issue, consider reaching out to your college's IT support for assistance. They may be able to reset your MFA settings or help you regain access to your account.
6. Check for Third-Party App Interference: If you have any third-party security apps installed, they may be blocking notifications from the authenticator app. Try disabling these apps temporarily to see if that resolves the issue.

If you continue to have problems, you can refer to the end-user troubleshooting guide provided by Microsoft for more detailed assistance.

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References:

• Frequently asked questions about Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication
• You don't receive a text or voice call that contains the verification code for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication