Locked out of Global Admin account due to MFA reset and lost Authenticator app

Question

Hello everyone,

I’m currently locked out of my Microsoft 365 tenant, and I’m the only Global Administrator. MFA was enabled on my account, and I recently changed phones without transferring my Microsoft Authenticator accounts.

I attempted to disable/reset MFA from the Admin Portal while I was still signed in, but the changes didn’t take effect before I was logged out. Now, when I try to sign in:

• It asks me to approve the sign‑in using the Microsoft Authenticator app, but the app is no longer paired with my new phone.
• When I choose “Use a different verification option,” the SMS option fails (likely due to an international number).
• I have no other MFA methods registered.
• I cannot access the Admin Portal anymore.

At this point, I’m completely locked out of the tenant.

I believe I need a Tenant Admin Account Recovery since I am the only Global Admin. Could a Microsoft moderator or support engineer please assist in initiating this process?

Thank you in advance @Raja Pothuraju

Answer 1

Hello Wafa AK,

The issue pertains to a tenant lockout, where no other global admin in the tenant has the necessary permissions to login and make changes in your tenant.

To resolve this, we have engaged our Data Protection team through a support ticket. They will reach out to you via email or phone to help restore access to the tenant and assist in resolving the issue.