Authenticator App Error

Question

The authenticator app is not working on my employees ipad and it is meaning I can not sign them into their Microsoft apps. Every time I try to sign in there is an error which pops up. I have spoken to our administrator, GoDaddy several times and we have been passed onto Microsoft directly. The glitch is to do with the authenticator app, this is the trouble shooting details:

Correlation Id: [Moderator note: personal info removed]

Timestamp: 2026-03-10T16:43:46.000Z

DPTI: [Moderator note: personal info removed]

Message: Access denied for the resource.

Tag: 4s8qt

Code: -42602

Answer 1

Hi @Rosie,

Based on the information you provided, the error message “Access denied the resource” during Microsoft Authenticator sign‑in on an iPad usually indicates that the sign‑in request is blocked before it reaches the Authenticator app.

Since the information is not quite clear, could you kindly confirm these following: 

1/ Is the employee using a new iPad or was the Authenticator app recently reinstalled? 

2/ Does the employee still have access to the old device where the Authenticator app was originally set up? 

3/ Does this happen for all Microsoft apps on the iPad (Outlook, Teams, OneDrive), or only during the initial sign‑in? 

4/ Is the affected user able to sign in successfully on a laptop or mobile phone? 

5/ Does the error appear immediately, or only after the Authenticator approval request is triggered? 

6/ Does the issue appear to all users or just some specific users? 

In the meantime, there are some recommendations that I can provide to you to check if it can resolve the issue: 

1/ Make sure the iPad has the correct time and date 

Go to iPad Settings > General > Date & Time > Set Automatically ON 

2/ Try signing in through Safari instead of the Microsoft app 

• Open Safari 
• Go to https://portal.office.com 
• Sign in 
• Follow the MFA prompts

3/ Reset the user’s MFA registration 

Kindly follow this thread to help you reset the user’s MFA: How to reset 2FA for a user account - Microsoft Q&A. If you are not a Global Admin in the tenant, please ask your IT Admin to take these steps on your behalf.

Note: Please understand that as a forum moderator, my primary goal is to provide helpful guidance and support through general troubleshooting steps. While I don’t have access to internal systems or test devices required to resolve backend/account issues, I truly appreciate your understanding of these limitations. 

I hope you find this information helpful. In case all checks have passed but the issue still persists, kindly send back the answer to the questions above so that I can investigate further.

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Answer 2

The error details indicate that Microsoft Authenticator is blocking access to the resource, which typically means the authentication flow is not completing successfully on the device.

Use the following steps on the employee’s iPad to troubleshoot the Authenticator app itself, then retry the sign-in:

1. Verify network and device basics
   • Make sure the iPad has a stable internet connection (try switching between Wi‑Fi and mobile hotspot if available).
   • Confirm Airplane mode is off.
   • Ensure the iPad’s Date & Time are set correctly and configured to automatic.
2. Update Microsoft Authenticator and iPad
   • Open the App Store and update Microsoft Authenticator to the latest version. Older versions (more than 12 months old) are not supported.
   • Make sure iPadOS and any other security apps (such as Microsoft Defender or Intune Company Portal, if installed) are up to date.
3. Check Authenticator app settings on the iPad
   • In Authenticator, go to Settings and:
     • Turn on App updates.
     • Turn off Battery optimization (or any battery-saving setting that may restrict background activity, if available on the device).
     • Open Notification Settings and ensure Show notifications is turned on.
   • On the iPad in Settings > Notifications, confirm notifications are allowed for Authenticator and not set to Deliver Quietly.
4. Fix “Authentication did not complete”–type issues
   • Ensure the Authenticator app is unlocked when trying to sign in; if the app is locked, the prompt may not appear.
   • Confirm notifications are not silenced (no Focus/Do Not Disturb mode blocking alerts).
   • If the app is outdated or corrupted, update it; if already updated, remove and reinstall Authenticator, then re-add the employee’s work account following the normal MFA setup process.
5. Re-add the problematic account in Authenticator
   • If other accounts work in Authenticator but this employee’s account fails:
     • Remove that specific work account from the Authenticator app.
     • Start a fresh sign-in to a Microsoft 365 app on the iPad.
     • When prompted for MFA, choose to set up the Authenticator app again (scan the QR code or follow the sign-in instructions) and allow notifications.
6. If the sign-in is still denied
   • Since the error message is “Access denied for the resource,” the tenant admin (GoDaddy/Microsoft 365 admin) should:
     • Verify the user account is active and licensed.
     • Reset the user’s MFA registration (Require re-register multifactor authentication) so the employee can configure Authenticator from scratch.
   • If the employee is the only admin and is locked out, the Data Protection team process described in the references applies; otherwise, another admin should perform the MFA reset.

If, after these steps, the same correlation ID–style errors persist, the admin or GoDaddy support should open a support ticket with Microsoft, providing the Correlation Id, Timestamp, and Code so Microsoft can trace the failing request server-side.

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References:

• Troubleshoot problems with Microsoft Authenticator
• Authenticator Did Not Complete Login
• Common issues and resolutions for Dynamics 365 for phones and tablets
• I have a Micrsoft business account and I am the admin and the only user registered under this account. I can't log in because i have replaced my phone and the authenticator doesn't work. - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft authenticator sending me into a spiral - Microsoft Q&A
• Cannot authenticate with E-mail when logging into Microsoft Authenticator(iOS). - Microsoft Q&A
• I need to reset my mfa methods - Microsoft Q&A
• Requesting a Tenant Admin MFA Reset - Microsoft Q&A