We have lost our device to authenticate and can't login to account

Question

Good day

I hope you are doing well.

We manage multiple tenants for customers and we have a issue where our authenticator device was stolen. We can't access some of the accounts because there was no backup device, number or email added.

Could you assist urgently to remove all authenticator methods on the below account so we can re-authenticate with the new devices. We have the admin login details.

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Moved from: Microsoft Security | Microsoft Authenticator

Answer 1

Hello @Quinton Ashworth, 

Thank you for posting your valuable question on Microsoft Q&A forum.   

I'm very sorry for the inconvenience you’ve experienced, based on the details you shared. May I ask if you have any alternative method to sign-in besides Authenticator? If yes, please try sign-in using this alternative method. 

 

If you don’t have any alternative sign‑in methods available, the next step is to verify whether each tenant still has at least one admin account you can log in with. 

For any tenant where at least one Global Administrator account is still accessible, you can use that access to reset your MFA settings through the Microsoft Entra Admin Center. 

• Go to Microsoft Entra Admin Center: https://entra.microsoft.com  
• Navigate to Users > All Users.  
• Select your user account.  
• Go to Authentication Methods.  
• Click "Require re-register multifactor authentication".  

This will reset your MFA settings. The next time you sign in, you’ll be prompted to set up the Authenticator app again using a QR code.  

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For each tenant that does not have any Global Administrator access, you can create a support ticket from a tenant you can still access, and request assistance from Microsoft Support:  

• Access the Microsoft 365 Admin Center with the Global admin account:  https://admin.microsoft.com/.   
• Go to Support:  
  • After clicking on "Help & Support" button like this image, you can type "I need help". After that, you can click on "Contact support"  
  
  • Choose contact method: "Phone" or "Email"  
  
• Raise a support ticket: Describe your issue in detail. Crucially, you must clearly state that you are locked out of a different, pre-existing Microsoft 365 tenant where you are the administrator. Provide the following information about your locked account:    
  • Your administrator account email address for the locked tenant.   
  • The domain name of your locked tenant    
  • Any error messages you are receiving.   
  • Details about the authentication issues you are experiencing.   
  • Confirmation that you are the administrator of the locked tenant.   
  
• Finally, clicking on "Contact me".  

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If none of the tenants’ Global Administrator accounts are accessible, as you're aware, you will need to contact the Microsoft Data Protection team. They are the only team authorized and equipped with the necessary tools and verification procedures to confirm your identity and help restore administrator access. 

Please try to find the related hotline number to call the frontline and let them raise a ticket for you: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support 

Please carefully follow this instruction to ask for Microsoft Data Protection team support:   

Depending on your country or region. For some countries, when calling the support number, although there are about 30 seconds opening as something "you can visit the link...." But you can ignore this opening and wait until the option, then "1" as a business email user, "1" again for technical help.   

For some countries, it will be an automated conversation like:    

First, when you call the hotline, it asks what kind of problem you are worried about.   

Answered: authenticator.   

A: What kind of product are you using?   

B: Office 365 for business.   

A confirmation: education or company account?   

B: For companies   

A: Are you an administrator?   

B: Yes.   

A: Do you have the other admin in your organization?   

B: No.   

A: You need one.... Service request?   

B: Yes   

If your organization's Office 365 Business/Education subscription is from a partner or reseller, and the global administrator is unable to open a service request on your end, contact the reseller's support provider to help open a service request on behalf of you instead.   

Please understand that forum moderators have no control over user accounts, especially when it comes to logging in to your account, resetting your password, changing your access, etc.   

I hope Data Protection team can successfully revoke your access. If you encounter any difficulties in contacting the frontline support, please feel free to let me know. Thank you and I wish you a great day!  

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Answer 2

To regain access to your accounts after losing your authenticator device, you will need to reset your Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) settings. Since you mentioned that you have admin login details, here are some steps you can follow:

1. Contact Microsoft Data Protection Support: Reach out to the Microsoft support hotline and request to speak with an agent. Explain your situation and mention that you are the only admin and have lost access due to the stolen device. This is the primary method for resolving such issues.
2. Use a Temporary Account: If you are unable to reach a live agent, consider creating a trial Microsoft 365 tenant. This will allow you to access the Admin Center and submit a support ticket requesting assistance from the Data Protection team on behalf of your original tenant.
3. Provide Necessary Details: When contacting support, be prepared to provide all relevant details about your account, including the email address and any identification information they may require to verify your identity.
4. Follow Up: If you manage to get in touch with support, be persistent and follow up on your request until the issue is resolved.

These steps should help you regain access to your accounts and reset your authentication methods.