I NEED HELP WITH THE AUTHENTICATOR APP

If you do not have access to your old phone and are unable to receive codes from the Microsoft Authenticator app, you will need to set up multifactor authentication (MFA) on your new device. Here are the steps you can follow:

1. Contact your IT support: Since you cannot access your old device, it's best to reach out to your IT support team for assistance. They can help you reset your MFA settings or provide alternative verification methods.
2. Use SMS or call-based MFA: If your work account is set up to use SMS or call-based MFA, you can use your new phone to receive verification codes as long as the phone number associated with your account is active.
3. Set up Microsoft Authenticator: Once you have access to your work account, you can install the Microsoft Authenticator app on your new phone and set it up for your work email. Make sure to enable phone sign-in for a smoother experience in the future.
4. Backup and Restore: If you had previously set up a backup of your Authenticator app on your old phone, you will need to restore it using your personal Microsoft account once you have access to the app on your new device.

Remember, do not factory reset your old device or remove the Authenticator app until you have successfully set up your new device with MFA.

Hello @Mckellar, Debbie,  

Thank you for posting your valuable question on Microsoft Q&A forum.   

I'm very sorry for the inconvenience you’ve experienced, based on the details you shared. May I ask if you have any alternative method to sign-in besides Authenticator? If yes, please try sign-in using this alternative method. 

If you don't have any alternative sig-in method, could you please confirm that you are the end-user or the IT admin of your organization? 

If you are the end-user, I would recommend you contact your organization account's Admin to reset your MFA settings through the Microsoft Entra Admin Center. Ask your administrator to follow these steps:    

• Go to Microsoft Entra Admin Center: https://entra.microsoft.com  
• Navigate to Users > All Users.  
• Select your user account.  
• Go to Authentication Methods.  
• Click "Require re-register multifactor authentication".  

This will reset your MFA settings. The next time you sign in, you’ll be prompted to set up the Authenticator app again using a QR code.  

If you're an IT admin, please check to see if there are other IT admins in your organization who can help you with the reset. 

If you are the only administrator in your organization,  then you need to involve Microsoft data protection team. Please try to find the related hotline number to call the frontline and let them raise a ticket for you: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support 

Please carefully follow this instruction to ask for Microsoft Data Protection team support:   

Depending on your country or region. For some countries, when calling the support number, although there are about 30 seconds opening as something "you can visit the link...." But you can ignore this opening and wait until the option, then "1" as a business email user, "1" again for technical help.   

For some countries, it will be an automated conversation like:    

First, when you call the hotline, it asks what kind of problem you are worried about.   

Answered: authenticator.   

A: What kind of product are you using?   

B: Office 365 for business.   

A confirmation: education or company account?   

B: For companies   

A: Are you an administrator?   

B: Yes.   

A: Do you have the other admin in your organization?   

B: No.   

A: You need one.... Service request?   

B: Yes   

If your organization's Office 365 Business/Education subscription is from a partner or reseller, and the global administrator is unable to open a service request on your end, contact the reseller's support provider to help open a service request on behalf of you instead.   

Please understand that forum moderators have no control over user accounts, especially when it comes to logging in to your account, resetting your password, changing your access, etc.   

I hope Data Protection team can successfully revoke your access. If you need any further assistance or need help on any process, please feel free to reply. I'm here to help!  

Thank you for your kindness and understanding so far!  

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