How to fix authenticator app

Question

It won’t send me a code to authenticate my account

Answer 1

Hi Alexis,

If your app isn't sending the code, try these quick fixes:

• Check Your Phone's Time: Go to your phone's settings and ensure the date and time are set to 'Automatic'. If the time is off by even a few seconds, the codes won't work.
• Please check Notifications: Make sure notifications for the Authenticator app are actually turned ON in your phone's settings.

Use the 'I can't use my app' option: On the login screen, click 'Sign in another way' or 'I can't use my Microsoft Authenticator app right now'. This may let you use a text or email backup instead.

Refresh the app: Open the app, pull down to refresh, or check if there's an update in the App Store/Google Play.

If you're using a work account and none of these work, you'll need to ask your company's IT admin to 'Require re-register MFA' for your account so you can set it up again.

Hope this gets you back in!

Answer 2

Hello @Alexis Snell, 

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

From what you have described, it seems you are not receiving the verification code in your authentication app, which is preventing you from signing in. 

Since the information you provided is not very clear, could you please help clarify these following: 

1. Are you signing in with a personal Microsoft account or a business (work/school) account? 
2. If this is a business account, are you a regular user, or are you an administrator of your organization’s Microsoft 365 / Entra ID tenant? 
3. If you are an administrator, is there any other admin in your tenant who may be able to help reset your authentication methods? 

In the meantime, there are some recommendations that I can provide to you: 

1. Use an alternate sign‑in method 

Click “Use another way to sign in” on the verification screen.  Note: if your account has any other authentication methods registered (SMS, email verification, backup Authenticator app, security key), you will see them listed there. 

2. If you do not have access to any previously registered authentication device or method and you are a user in the tenant, you will need to reset your MFA settings: 

• Contact your Microsoft 365 administrator (if this is a work or school account) to help you reset the authentication method 
• If this is a personal Microsoft account, visit the account recovery page:   https://account.live.com/acsr   

3. Check whether the device or Authenticator app was previously configured 

If the account was ever added to Microsoft Authenticator on a former device, login may fail if that device is no longer available. After an administrator resets MFA, you will be able to register the app again on your current device. 

If you can provide more details related to the questions above, I will be happy to guide you further. 

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 genuinely hope the information helps you in the right direction, and we are always here to assist as much as I can within our scope.   

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If anything is unclear, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. 

Thank you for choosing Microsoft, and I am looking forward to your response. 

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Answer 3

If your authenticator app is not sending you a code to authenticate your account, here are some troubleshooting steps you can follow:

1. Check for Blocked Numbers: Ensure that your device does not have any blocked numbers that could prevent the authentication calls or texts from coming through.
2. Verify Phone Number: Confirm that the phone number registered for authentication is correct, including the country/region code.
3. Service Availability: Make sure your phone is turned on and has service available in your area.
4. Alternative Methods: If you're experiencing issues with phone authentication, consider using another method such as the Microsoft Authenticator app or a verification code.
5. Contact Admin: If you continue to have issues, reach out to your Microsoft Entra administrator for support, especially if you are blocked from receiving codes.
6. Timing Issues: If you are using a time-based one-time password (TOTP) app, ensure that the clocks on your devices are synchronized, as discrepancies can lead to invalid codes.

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the issue with your authenticator app not sending codes.