New phone and impossible to Connect to authentificator

Question

Hi. I have a new phone and my accounts on authentificator are not connected anymore. when i try to connect, it asked for a code on authenticator but since in not connected and i dont have my old phone i cant see any code. Is there a way to Connect or to reset it? Thank you

Answer 1

If you have a new phone and cannot access your Microsoft Authenticator because you don't have your old phone, you will need to reset your Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) settings. Here are the steps you can follow:

1. Contact your admin: If you are part of an organization, reach out to your IT administrator. They can reset your MFA settings for you.
2. Admin reset process: The admin will need to sign in to the cloud service portal, select your account, and reset your MFA settings. This will allow you to set up MFA again on your new phone.
3. Set up MFA on your new device: Once your admin has reset your MFA settings, you can register and set up MFA on your new device. Make sure to follow the prompts to link your new phone to your account.

If you are not part of an organization, you may need to follow the recovery options provided by Microsoft for personal accounts.

For more detailed guidance, you can refer to the Microsoft documentation on managing user settings with Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication.

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References:

• Frequently asked questions about Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication
• Can't use Azure Multi-Factor Authentication to sign in to cloud services after you lose your phone or the phone number changes

Answer 2

Hi @Audrey Bélanger-Cournoyer, 

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 changing devices or reinstalling the Microsoft Authenticator app. Since your new device hasn’t been configured with the Authenticator yet, you're currently unable to access your account. The app remains linked to your previous device, which is why you're not receiving the authentication codes.  

As you are currently unable to access the account due to authentication challenges, please follow the steps outlined below to regain access to your admin account. 

Option 1: Contact other IT admins 

Please check to see if there are other IT admins 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. 

Option 2: Contact Microsoft Data Protection Support by Phone (Primary Method)    

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.    

IVR: What products do you use? 

You: Office 365 for business. 

IVR: Education or company account? 

You: For companies 

IVR: Are you an administrator? 

You: Yes. 

IVR: Are there any other administrators in your organization? 

You: 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. 

Option 3: Create a Temporary Account (Trial Tenant) to Submit a Support Ticket (Alternative Method)   

If you cannot reach a live agent, there is still a workaround, you might consider registering for a new tenant by signing up for a trial subscription. 

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. 

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