Help , I have a new phone

Question

I got a new phone and I’m to log in on my new device, but it’s asking me to authenticate and I can’t because I no longer have the old device. Please I need help. I can’t get into my work or school accounts.

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Moved from: Microsoft Security | Microsoft Authenticator

Answer 1

Hello @Victoria Polk

Welcome to Q&A forum!

I understand your situation. It’s important to transfer your Authenticator app data before switching to a new phone to ensure you don’t lose access to your accounts. The Authenticator app holds your verification codes, and if you don’t migrate them beforehand, you could be locked out of essential services, email, or work accounts. Transferring the data in advance keeps your sign‑in methods intact and prevents any recovery issues later.

You can also refer to this thread for future phone changes to help avoid similar issues from happening again.

How do I transfer my Microsoft Authenticator data from my iPhone to a Samsung phone? - Microsoft Q&A

Since this is a sensitive and complex issue related to account security, I kindly ask for your patience and recommend following the steps to regain your access.

In this case, as you are using work or school account, the only way to regain access is to contact your "IT administrator or Global admin" and request a phone number update in the Microsoft Entra admin center.

In the Entra admin center, an administrator can set user accounts to require a re-enrollment of multi-factor authentication (MFA). Ask your administrator to follow the steps shown in the following article:

Manage user authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multi-factor authentication

• Sign in to Microsoft Entra - Microsoft Entra admin center
• User -> all users. Select the user you want to act on, and then select "Authentication methods". then select "Require multi-factor authentication re-registration".

Require re-enrollment MFA: This disables all previous authentication methods. You'll then be prompted to set up a new MFA authentication method the next time you try to sign in, so you can add a new authenticator app.

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Answer 2

If you have a new phone and are unable to log in because you no longer have access to the Microsoft Authenticator app on your old device, you can take the following steps:

1. Contact Microsoft Support: Since you mentioned that you cannot access your work or school accounts, and if you are the only administrator for your organization, you will need to reach out to the Microsoft Data Protection team. They have tools to help verify your identity and regain access to your account. You can find the appropriate customer service phone numbers for Microsoft Support to initiate this process.
2. Use a New Trial Tenant: If contacting support directly does not resolve your issue, you can set up a new trial tenant. This involves creating a new Microsoft 365 account temporarily to submit a support request regarding your locked account. Be sure to provide details about your locked account, including your administrator email address and any error messages you are receiving.
3. Alternative Authentication Methods: If you have set up alternative authentication methods (like SMS), ensure they are functioning correctly. If SMS is not working, you may need to rely on contacting support as mentioned above.
4. Backup and Recovery Settings: In the future, consider setting up backup and recovery options for your Microsoft Authenticator app to avoid similar issues. This can include enabling iCloud backup or using recovery accounts.

These steps should help you regain access to your accounts and set up your new device successfully.

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References:

• I have a Micrsoft business account and I am the admin and the only user registered under this account. I can't log in because i have replaced my phone and the authenticator doesn't work. - Microsoft Q&A
• Cannot authenticate with E-mail when logging into Microsoft Authenticator(iOS). - Microsoft Q&A