Authenticator 'Your Screen Lock has changed' Loop

Question

I need help getting the authenticator to allow me to access my account.
Each time I try to use it, I get a message that my screen lock has changed, and it has me re-enable phone sign in.
I do this and then it goes back to letting me deny or approve the request and it starts all over.
I have removed the account from my authenticator app and my account online and then re-created it on both.
Nothing seems to work.
Please advise.
Currently using Android OS version 14, Moto Razer 2024.

Answer 1

I solved it, here are the steps:

1. Sign-In to your microsoft account;
2. Go to Security tab and click on Manage how I sign in;
3. Disable Send sign-in notification;
4. Disable Passwordless account if enabled;
5. Disable Two-step verification if enabled;
6. On your phone open Microsoft Authenticator and delete the account;
7. Clean the cache of the app and force close of the app;
8. Reboot the phone;
9. Re-enable all previous settings;

Answer 2

Here's a much simpler solution.

1. Open the MS Authenticator app and click on your account.
2. Look for a menu item that says Re-enable Phone Sign-In and click it.
3. On the next screen, click the link to sign in with a password. Do NOT click the Send Notification button or you will experience the loop that the OP refers to.

Answer 3

So, I was able to solve this by re-establishing the account in the Authenticator app. It was not easy, there are a couple of account recovery processes that fork pretty severely on MSFT's support site and it took me three tries to find the right way to do it. I can't remember the exact options available, I should have written it down so that I could share it with everyone. I'm sorry about that! But there is a way to work through the recovery process such that you get an opportunity to enter the OTP code from the Authenticator app - this still works despite the error message during push notifications or number-matching. Once authenticated that way, I removed the account from the Authenticator app, then went into the account security settings, turned off 2-step verification, and removed the Authenticator app as an authentication option. Then I added the Authenticator app back using the normal QR-code scanning process, then turned 2-step verification back on. I was then able to log out and log back in using number-matching with the Authenticator app, and it worked fine. Again, I'm sorry for not writing down the exact steps from the account recovery process to trigger the option to enter the OTP code, but it does still work even with the other errors present.

Answer 4

Hi, I have a Motorola Edge Pro 50, and was having the same problem, what I did to fix it, was to disable Moto Secure app, went through the normal process of activating authenticator and activating passwordless sign in method (no loop happened), and then re-enable Moto secure app. I have tested login into my account by sending a notification and it works without a problem.

Greetings, hope this helps!

Answer 5

I have found a solution that doesn't require resetting the whole thing:

1. Open Authenticator and wait until the one time pass code resets. The steps after this need to be executed within 30s.
2. Quickly write down the code on a piece of paper or so.
3. Press Re-enable Phone Sign-In
4. On the next screen, click the link to sign in with a password. Do NOT click the Send Notification button or you will experience the loop that the OP refers to.
5. Enter your password.
6. Now you have 2 options to confirm your password: don't choose the one that uses an authenticator pop-up or you will end up in another (very similar) loop. Instead, click the 'Authenticator code' option and quickly enter the code that you wrote down on the paper.

This worked for me.