Too many devices for Authenticator

Question

When registering a new phone for Authenticator, it prompts that I'm having too many devices registered - although I have only one phone registered for it. There was a link to manage devices, but it doesn't work. Where can I manage the devices?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Dear @Charlie Rojo,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Before giving you the best solution, could you please confirm these questions below to help me diagnose the issue more effectively: 

• Does your account use a personal account (@outlook.com/@hotmail.com email), or is it a work/school account (e.g., @company.com)? 
• If you are using business account, are you the admin in your company?
• If yes, are you the only admin or there are other admins in your company?  

The “too many devices registered” error appeared because Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) enforces a limit on the number of authenticator app registrations (typically five). Even if you think you only have one active phone, older or unused registrations may still exist in your account.

If you are using business account, here are some steps how you can manage and remove those extra entries I recommend you try while waiting for investigating:

Option 1: Security info in My Sign-ins

• Go to your security info page: https://aka.ms/mysecurityinfo
• Sign in with your work or school account.
• Under Security info, look for Authenticator app entries.
• Remove any old or duplicate devices.

If you still hit issues after cleaning up, ask your IT admin to reset MFA settings for your account.

Option 2: If you are user or have another administrator user set the MFA re-registration requirement

• In the Azure portal, search for and select Microsoft Entra ID.
• In the Microsoft Entra navigation pane, locate the Manage heading, and then select Users.
• In the list of Microsoft Entra users, select the Display name of the user.
• In the navigation pane for the Microsoft Entra user, locate the Manage heading, and then select Authentication methods.
• In the Microsoft Entra user menu, select Require re-register multifactor authentication.
• For reference: Manage user authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication

For more detailed instructions and more Information, please follow the Microsoft Official Guide here: Can't set up MFA because five devices are already registered to use an authenticator app

Otherwise, if you are using personal account, you can unlink a mobile device because you don’t own or use it anymore:

• Sign in with your Microsoft account at account.microsoft.com/devices/android-ios
• Find the device you want to remove and select Unlink.
• For reference: Manage devices used with your Microsoft account

Notes: Once you unlink a device, it no longer counts toward your device limit. If you download an app or game on this device later, it will count towards your device limit again.

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, feel free to reach out again and we can work together to resolve this.

Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution. 

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

I'm looking forward for your reply.

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