Lost Microsoft Authenticator access

Question

Hello,

I lost my access to MS authenticator app and now I am unable to access extra features like security and privacy, change passwords, adding users, buying software etc.... I have the password and still can log in. But after logging, pretty much I cannot do anything. I called to support, but AI agent didn't allow me to talk with a live agent expect providing useless links and information that end up getting "approve sign in request" with authentication app. May I know how I can get access to the 2FA things. I am not a professional and just helping that organization. The account is (global) admin and that is the only one account link to the organization. There is no other authentication type linked to the account expect authentication app.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi Ukkam Sa

Thank you for contacting the Microsoft Q&A Forum. 

Based on your description, I understand that you are the only global administrator of your Microsoft 365 organization, and you have lost access to your Microsoft Authenticator app. 

In this situation, only the Microsoft Support team can assist with this MFA issue. To contact Microsoft Support, you can try the following two options: 

1.Contact Microsoft Support by phone: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support

I understand you have already tried calling support and were unable to reach a live agent through the automated system. However, if you're willing to try again, please refer to the example below, which was shared by another user who was able to reach a support representative in a similar situation: 

Q. Can you tell me if you are calling as a home user who uses a product or service at home or a business user who uses it in your business to provide the best assistance? 
A.I am a business user. 
Q. Thank you. Can you give me the details of your inquiry? 
A. Login technical support. 
Q. First of all, can you tell me which products you are inquiring about today? 
A. Microsoft 365 business Standard。 
Q. Please wait a moment, I understand Microsoft 365. Are you calling about a new case or an existing one? 
A. New. 
Q. To receive phone support, your phone number must be associated with your Microsoft 365 admin profile. To do this, go to aka.ms/m365profile. Again, it aka.ms/m365profile . This can take 48 hours. In the meantime, you can go to aka.ms/m365profile and file a case online. If you prefer, you can also text the link to the phone number you are calling. What do you think? 
A. The phone number is already linked to the link. 
Q. Can you tell me about the products in your inquiry? 
A. Microsoft 365 Business Standard. 
Q. Are you a Global Administrator? 
A. That's right. 
Q. I'm sorry. I didn't understand. Are you a global administrator for your domain? 
A. Yes, I am a global administrator for the domain. 
Q. If you have any inquiries, you can contact a Microsoft representative. Are you sure? 
A. Yes. Please. 
Q. Yes, I understand. Please wait a moment.

Once connected, the agent will be able to create a ticket for you under the affected tenant and then transfer this ticket to Data Protection team who could help you to regain access.   

Please note that this team is always overwhelmed, so you might need to wait for them to call you, this should take 3-10 working days. I know that this is not a convenient solution to hear but it seems to be the only way. To help prevent similar situations in the future, it's recommended that you have a secondary (backup) Global Administrator so you can resolve this type of issue on your own if it happens again.     

2.If you are unable to reach the appropriate support team by phone, you can consider directly submitting a support request as a helpful workaround:     

-Create a temporary Microsoft 365 tenant using a trial license: Go to Microsoft 365 Business Plans and Pricing and click Try for free to set up a temporary Microsoft 365 tenant with a trial license.    

-Use this new account to sign in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center and submit a support request on behalf of the affected tenant.

Note: This method doesn't require you to use your new account for your business. Instead, it allows you to create a temporary global administrator account so you can submit a support request, as your original global administrator account is locked out due to issues with multi-factor authentication. The trial account is free for one month. Be sure to delete it after submitting your support request to avoid any automatic renewals or charges from Microsoft.      

For further instructions, you can follow this guide: Get support - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn.   

I appreciate your understanding and patience in this matter. While I truly want to assist you, this issue is beyond the scope of my role as a forum moderator. Please understand that we are not Microsoft Support, and I do not have access to internal databases or the ability to escalate cases directly to Microsoft’s internal teams. Therefore, please kindly contact the Microsoft Support team for the most efficient help. 

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