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Authenticator not working.

Jackie Guevara 0 Reputation points
2025-12-05T18:18:13.8633333+00:00

Why is the microsoft authenticator not working on my mobile device? I have deleted the app and reinstalled it and still can't get it to work. I cannot open my email on my iphone because I need the code from the app.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Subscription, account, billing | For business | Other
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  1. Q&A Assist
    2025-12-05T18:18:23.63+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    If the Microsoft Authenticator app is not working on your mobile device, there are a few things you can check:

    1. App Installation: Ensure that the app is properly installed. Since you've already deleted and reinstalled it, make sure you are using the latest version of the app.
    2. MFA App Requirement: Remember that you need to have an MFA authentication app installed on your mobile device to access applications that require MFA. If you deleted the app, you will need to contact Product Support to reset MFA for your account.
    3. Push Notifications: If you're using Auth0 Guardian instead of Microsoft Authenticator, note that it sends push notifications rather than codes. Make sure you are checking for notifications and selecting Allow to complete the authentication process.
    4. Time Synchronization: Ensure that the time on your mobile device is correctly set. If the time is out of sync with the server, it may prevent you from receiving valid codes.

    If you are still unable to access your email, consider reaching out to Product Support for further assistance.

    References:

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  2. Lia V 3,385 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-12-05T19:03:02.47+00:00

    Hi @Jackie Guevara,

    Thank you for posting on Microsoft Q&A forum and I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble logging into your Microsoft account. 

    This issue commonly occurs when your Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) settings need to be reset, particularly after reinstalling the Microsoft Authenticator app. When the app was removed, the secure link between your account and the app was deleted. After reinstalling, the app is brand new and hasn’t been configured with your account yet. Because the account is still linked to the previous app instance, you’re currently unable to complete the sign-in process.

    Regarding your situation, please kindly follow these steps to help regain access to your account.

    As the account type has not been specified, I may not be able to provide an exact solution. If you are using a work account, please refer to the following steps. If your account is not a work or school account, kindly share your account type so I can provide the correct instructions or connect you with the right team.

    1/ If you're an admin or an end-user in your organization, please check to see if there are other IT admins in your organization who can help you with the reset MFA for your account and share with them the steps outlined in the article Manage user authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication. This will help them assist you in resetting your MFA settings and restoring access to your account.

    2/ If you're the only admin, in this situation, the Microsoft Data Protection Team has tools and processes in place to verify identity and regain access to administrator accounts. You can try reaching out to our Global Customer Service phone to raise a request for resetting your authentication method here: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support.

    Please note that forum moderators do not have access to user account settings and cannot assist with logging in, resetting passwords, or changing access rights. While we do not have access to internal systems or administrative tools required to resolve account-specific or backend-related issues, we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities.   

    Here are some tips and an example of a prompt to help you navigate the IVR more effectively:     

    IVR: What kind of problem are you concerned about?    

    You: Authenticator.    

    A: What products do you use?

    B: Office 365 for business.

    Verification: Education or company account?

    B: For companies

    A: Are you an administrator?

    B: Yes.

    A: Are there any other administrators in your organization?

    B: No.

    IVR: Do you need a... Service request? 

    You: Yes. I need to create a ticket. Please send me directly to the Data Protection Team.

    3/ As an alternative, you can create a new tenant account and submit your request from there. 

    To set up a new tenant, please follow these steps:

    Visit Microsoft 365 Business Plans and Pricing | Microsoft 365. This would allow you to create a new tenant following the prompts provided. Once set up, you can access the admin console of the new tenant and submit a support ticket requesting to speak with the Data Protection team on behalf of your previous tenant. 

    Follow the guided setup process to create a new account for a new tenant.

    Once your tenant is created, you should be able to access the support portal and submit your ticket referencing your locked account without further issues.

    In your ticket description, you'll need to clearly explain that you're trying to regain access to your previous Microsoft 365 tenant and need help from the Data Protection team. Here's a message you can use or adapt:

    "Hello, I’m currently unable to access my previous Microsoft 365 tenant due to losing MFA access, which prevents me from receiving verification codes. I’m the global admin, but I’m locked out and unable to generate a QR code or bypass MFA.

    I created this new tenant solely to request assistance. I kindly ask to be connected with the Data Protection team to verify my identity and help me recover access to the original tenant.

    This is urgent, as I rely on Microsoft 365 for my work and have been unable to operate for several days. I’m available to provide any documentation or verification needed to support the recovery process."

    Ticket Support: In the Microsoft 365 Admin Center > Support > Help & Support.

    Please remember to cancel the trial subscription once your issue is resolved to avoid any unintended charges.

    I hope this helps you regain access to your account quickly. I'm glad to assist and truly hope the information provided has been useful. Please feel free to reach out anytime if you need further assistance.

    If you find my post helpful, kindly consider marking it as the accepted answer. Doing so can assist others in the community who may have similar questions in finding solutions more quickly.

    Thank you for your kindness and contributions to the forum.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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