Authenticator is trying to use my old phone number that is listed as secondary on the account, why isnt it using the primary number on file??

Question

about 7 months ago I had to unexpectedly return a work phone that I had set up as my primary number on my personal Microsoft account. I went through the painful 30day process of recovering the account (BTW, this is AWWWWFUL and needs to change).

Despite the recovery, it would not let me remove the old number without sending a text message to the old number.... a never ended senseless loop: "dont have your old phone? click here!>>> send code to [old number] to update your account info". It's a major bug that seems to still be in place 7 months later.

Now I am trying to make security changes to my account and can't as the old number (again, listed as secondary, not the primary number) and cant as it only provide the old secondary number as an option to text a code to. pleeeease help...

Answer 1

I understand the frustration you’re experiencing with this issue. Let’s tackle it step by step. To remove your old phone number from your Microsoft account, follow these instructions:

1. Go to the Microsoft account dashboard.
2. Click on Security.
3. Select Update Info.
4. Click on Phone numbers.
5. Find the old phone number you want to remove and click Remove next to it
6. However, I realize that you mentioned a 30-day wait period. If you’re unable to remove the old number immediately, here are a couple of additional options:
7. Recovery Email: If you have a recovery email set up for your account, you can request a password reset to be sent to your recovery email. This way, you can regain access to your account even without the old phone number

Account Recovery Form: If you don’t have a recovery email, you can fill out the Account Recovery form to recover your account. Please note that this process might take some time, but it’s worth a try. You can submit the form multiple times until successful

Remember that this community forum is user-to-user, and don’t work directly for Microsoft. If you encounter any further issues, consider reaching out to Microsoft support for personalized assistance. I hope this helps you regain control of your account!