Number change

Question

I changed my phone number and can't access my outlook email account.

Answer 1

Since you didn't specify your account type, I will provide solution based on the tag of the initial post. If you're using a personal account (@hotmai, gmail, outlook.com...) instead of a business account (@onmicrosoft.com, @yourdomain.com....), please let me know so that I can provide guidance with more accuracy.

Hi @Scott, Patricia,

Thank you for posting your question in the 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 phone number. Since your old phone number has stop working and the new one hasn’t been configured with the Authenticator yet, you're currently unable to access your account.  

In this case, you should contact your organization administrator and ask for their help. Only your company's IT team has the ability to adjust or reset your MFA configuration.  

Specifically ask them to “Reset my MFA settings or allow me to re-register for MFA". This is a standard request, and your organization's IT team should be able to assist you with it.  

You can also share the steps in this Microsoft article for them so they can help reset your MFA settings for you Manage authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication - Microsoft Entra ID | Microsoft Learn 

Once your organization's in has reset your MFA, the next time you log in to your account, you will be guided through the process of setting up the Microsoft Authenticator app again from the beginning by scanning a QR code. This will break the loop and allow you to access your account normally.   

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, but we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities. 

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.  

Thank you for your patience and understanding. Please feel free to reach out anytime if you need further assistance.

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Answer 2

If you have changed your phone number and are unable to access your Outlook email account, you may need to reset your Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) settings. If you are an admin, you can reset these settings for your account. Here’s how:

1. Sign in to the cloud service portal as an admin.
2. Go to the Multi-Factor Authentication settings.
3. Select your user account and manage user settings.
4. Choose to require the user to provide contact methods again, which will reset your MFA settings.

If you are not an admin, you will need to contact your organization's administrator to have them reset your MFA settings. If you are using a personal account (like Hotmail or Outlook.com), you may need to complete the recovery form to regain access to your account.

Make sure to provide as much accurate information as possible during the recovery process to verify your identity.

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References:

• Can't use Azure Multi-Factor Authentication to sign in to cloud services after you lose your phone or the phone number changes
• Can't sign in to my email - Microsoft Q&A