How can I remove account from Microsoft Authenticator?

Question

How can I remove account from Microsoft Authenticator?

Ting 71

Hi.

My mobile phone was registered under my work organisation and I accidentally uninstalled the Microsoft Authenticator app without unregistering my work organisation MFA account in the app.

Now when I installed back the Authenticator app it shows a greyed out account and I am not able to re-register for the MFA using my work email again. How can I unregister the greyed out account on the Authenticator app?

Ting 71 Reputation points

2022-11-26T14:13:34.833+00:00

Hi.

I have tried to remove the account from my settings. However when I attempt to scan the QR code to set up the 2-factor authentication on Microsoft Authenticator, it says that the QR code has already been used and I am unable to set up the authentication account using my work email.
Anonymous

2022-11-26T14:15:33.097+00:00

Please close up this thread by and open a new thread for this new ask.
Sagar Amrut Pardeshi 10 Reputation points

2023-07-05T14:36:57.4166667+00:00

How can I remove account from Microsoft Authenticator?
Moe Aung 10 Reputation points

2023-08-10T10:58:02.0966667+00:00

There's no "Passwords & Accounts" under "Settings"
Nathan Abshire 26 Reputation points

2023-12-28T22:07:14.5566667+00:00

@Alexey Dmitriev that option doesn't exist on Android's Authenticator app. There's no such thing as an "Accounts" section in Settings. And before you ask, my app is up to date.

My headers are: Notifications, Backup, Security, Work or school account, Stay logged in to your Microsoft work or school account, Logs, Autofill settings, Verified IDs.

There is no option for Account Management of any sort of under settings.

One would think you'd be able to interact with the greyed-out items, but this is not the case.

I work for an MSP. I have several management identities in my Microsoft Authenticator app that I want to remove. ACTIVE accounts can be removed just fine, but these greyed-out accounts cannot.
Alexey Dmitriev 20 Reputation points

2023-12-29T05:10:54.1933333+00:00

Sorry that I was not so specific. Account is placed in the settings of Android (and I think is the same for Apple devices), not the application settings.
Nathan Abshire 26 Reputation points

2024-01-03T14:40:55.45+00:00

Ahhh, talk about confusing! I would have never thought to look in the Android OS settings for this. Thanks for the clarification, appreciate it!
Csumlash 0 Reputation points

2024-03-24T00:03:11.63+00:00

Edit: I have found the answer below, thanks! I have the same problem, I manage many accounts with this Microsoft Authenticator application, I can remove any of them with the provided guidance except one account that is greyed out and I cannot even select/open it to access its settings. Anyone has any method to remove these inactive accounts?
Laurel Walton 0 Reputation points

2024-04-18T17:44:38.5833333+00:00

Nothing I have tried to remove the old work account in Microsoft Authenticator. I have a Samsung Galaxy S22. I'm sure I found where it's supposed to work but, as per the answers above, the areas are grey-out or non-responsive to being deleted.
Maria 0 Reputation points

2024-04-23T12:25:39.97+00:00

I delete it from accounts in settings and it keeps coming back up and adding back in and still in my Authenticator app... any ideas?
Alesha F 0 Reputation points

2025-04-21T06:30:47.07+00:00

Hi! I know this is 2 years late and I hope you have figured it out by now, but if you hadn't, he didn't reference the authenticator app at all. His first instruction was Android (phone), indicating that you are going to find what you need on your phone. Then go to your Settings (the gear). Then open the tab that says Accounts (mine said acounts and backup). Find the email you want to delete and delete it! I hope this helps not only you but anyone else that reads it.

Accepted answer

4 additional answers

Your answer

Ting 71 Reputation points

2022-11-26T14:13:34.833+00:00

Hi.

I have tried to remove the account from my settings. However when I attempt to scan the QR code to set up the 2-factor authentication on Microsoft Authenticator, it says that the QR code has already been used and I am unable to set up the authentication account using my work email.
Anonymous

2022-11-26T14:15:33.097+00:00

Please close up this thread by and open a new thread for this new ask.
Sagar Amrut Pardeshi 10 Reputation points

2023-07-05T14:36:57.4166667+00:00

How can I remove account from Microsoft Authenticator?
Moe Aung 10 Reputation points

2023-08-10T10:58:02.0966667+00:00

There's no "Passwords & Accounts" under "Settings"
Nathan Abshire 26 Reputation points

2023-12-28T22:07:14.5566667+00:00

@Alexey Dmitriev that option doesn't exist on Android's Authenticator app. There's no such thing as an "Accounts" section in Settings. And before you ask, my app is up to date.

My headers are: Notifications, Backup, Security, Work or school account, Stay logged in to your Microsoft work or school account, Logs, Autofill settings, Verified IDs.

There is no option for Account Management of any sort of under settings.

One would think you'd be able to interact with the greyed-out items, but this is not the case.

I work for an MSP. I have several management identities in my Microsoft Authenticator app that I want to remove. ACTIVE accounts can be removed just fine, but these greyed-out accounts cannot.
Alexey Dmitriev 20 Reputation points

2023-12-29T05:10:54.1933333+00:00

Sorry that I was not so specific. Account is placed in the settings of Android (and I think is the same for Apple devices), not the application settings.
Nathan Abshire 26 Reputation points

2024-01-03T14:40:55.45+00:00

Ahhh, talk about confusing! I would have never thought to look in the Android OS settings for this. Thanks for the clarification, appreciate it!
Csumlash 0 Reputation points

2024-03-24T00:03:11.63+00:00

Edit: I have found the answer below, thanks! I have the same problem, I manage many accounts with this Microsoft Authenticator application, I can remove any of them with the provided guidance except one account that is greyed out and I cannot even select/open it to access its settings. Anyone has any method to remove these inactive accounts?
Laurel Walton 0 Reputation points

2024-04-18T17:44:38.5833333+00:00

Nothing I have tried to remove the old work account in Microsoft Authenticator. I have a Samsung Galaxy S22. I'm sure I found where it's supposed to work but, as per the answers above, the areas are grey-out or non-responsive to being deleted.
Maria 0 Reputation points

2024-04-23T12:25:39.97+00:00

I delete it from accounts in settings and it keeps coming back up and adding back in and still in my Authenticator app... any ideas?
Alesha F 0 Reputation points

2025-04-21T06:30:47.07+00:00

Hi! I know this is 2 years late and I hope you have figured it out by now, but if you hadn't, he didn't reference the authenticator app at all. His first instruction was Android (phone), indicating that you are going to find what you need on your phone. Then go to your Settings (the gear). Then open the tab that says Accounts (mine said acounts and backup). Find the email you want to delete and delete it! I hope this helps not only you but anyone else that reads it.

Answer 1

Anonymous

How can I unregister the greyed out account on the Authenticator app

You can remove the account from the device. For example, on my android device it is Settings\Passwords & accounts.

--please don't forget to upvote and Accept as answer if the reply is helpful--

Anonymous

2022-11-26T13:47:33.947+00:00

Just checking if there's any progress or updates?

--please don't forget to upvote and Accept as answer if the reply is helpful--
Peter Teuben 0 Reputation points

2023-05-12T09:31:56.18+00:00

dasfcs
Elle J 0 Reputation points

2023-06-01T14:30:09.79+00:00
I am also having this issue. I am opposed to using my personal device for work. But I was forced to use #MicrosoftAuthenticator on my phone for an employer I no longer work for - so I want the account gone.

The account is grayed out, so I cannot long press or do anything with it.

NONE of the menus in Authenticator offer opportunities to remove a grayed out account.

DELETING THE ACCOUNT FROM PHONE IS NOT A SOLUTION: Locate and delete the "Work Account" from your phone.

Android

Go to Settings and search Work Account. You may have to enable your "Work Profile". Unbeknownst to me, when I used my personal phone for work apps/security, everything got stored in "Work Profile" in my phone. I started getting work notifications at all hourss, so I turned it off. I had n ide there was Work and Personal sections on my Android/Samsung Note. You also have the option to uninstall Work Profile.

Once your Work Profile is enabled, scroll down to Accounts. You should be on the same screen where you see the blue enable/disable slider.

Delete the account you no longer want to display in Authenticator.

The account was still showing in Authenticator app, even though I had deleted it, so I went to cache and cleared a whopping 12MB of cache from Microsoft Authenticator!

The account remains.

THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO UNINSTALL MICROSOFT AUTHENTICATOR.
Erik Martínez Borrayo 0 Reputation points

2023-06-24T01:44:49.5066667+00:00

Thanks ‼️‼️‼️👍🏻
Dennis DeWaters 0 Reputation points

2023-08-27T20:42:37.6866667+00:00

So, Elle's comment is irrelevant as of today - just tried these exact steps on my Samsung Galaxy S23 without a hitch; gone from Authenticator within 15 seconds automatically.

Thanks again for the tip!

Answer 2

Thomas Kazembe 45

To remove the greyed out account from Microsoft Authenticator I had to go to my phones’ “Settings” then “Accounts and backup” followed by “Manage accounts“. To my surprise, even though I deleted the email address from Outlook, the email account was still there. Once I removed the email address and reloaded Microsoft Authenticator the greyed out account was gone.

Abdullah Ollivierre 0 Reputation points

2023-08-20T19:42:31.6833333+00:00

This solved it for me!
59057820 0 Reputation points

2023-08-21T17:42:09.83+00:00

Thank you for this. It solved it for me too!
George 0 Reputation points

2023-09-14T11:49:56.3633333+00:00

thank you
Alesha F 0 Reputation points

2025-04-21T06:21:12.35+00:00

THIS ONE RIGHT HERE!!! I've been so confused because my authenticator app didn't have an option to delete the emails because they were greyed out. When they're grey, these are the instructions you follow^^^^I started a new job and had really hard feelings about my last one and just hated seeing my old work email addresses on there, but no more! Thank you Thomas, for you have brought me peace of mind.

Answer 3

Alexey Dmitriev 20

To delete greyed out account from MS Authenticator it should be deleted from Android - Settings - Accounts. It is appeared there.

Answer 4

Mark Dagger 0

I happened to fall across this thread because I have recently changed jobs and my old role was still stuck in MS Authenticator. You cannot delete the old profile directly from Authenticator on Android. This is what I did on my Huawei P30 Lite Android device:

Settings => Users and Accounts => (Under the personal section select) => Work account

My old work account was found there, when I removed it from the section above, it also disappeared from MS Authenticator. I hope this helps.

Answer 5

Ed Eaglehouse 0

Just restating the original answer.

You cannot remove the account through the Authenticator app. You must delete the account using Manage Accounts through the device's Settings.

It would be nice to at least have a help option that tells you that, and takes you to the device's Settings, instead of wasting time searching through tons of incorrect instructions on the web. But that's the Microsoft way.

Share via

How can I remove account from Microsoft Authenticator?

4 additional answers

Your answer