Unable to verify account via SMS or call to mobile number

Question

Unable to verify account via SMS or call to mobile number

Andrej Pirman SGH 20

Hi,

like many others I face the "Sorry, we're having trouble verifying your account. Please try again. View details" problem when verifiying one of older M365 logins, which did not have MFA via authenticator configured yet. I guess this is due to being locked up for too many attempts.

@Raja Pothuraju , I found you helped others. Can you help me, too?

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Raja Pothuraju 45,870 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-17T11:10:15.82+00:00

Hello Andrej Pirman SGH,

Kindly share the affected email address, tenant ID, phone number and country name via private message.
Mukesh D 30 Reputation points

2026-02-18T02:20:54.53+00:00
Hi Andrej,

It sounds like your account is temporarily locked due to multiple failed verification attempts. Unfortunately, when SMS or calls aren’t working, there’s no quick fix from the usual login screens. Here’s what you can do:

Wait it out – Microsoft usually unlocks accounts automatically after a short period (anywhere from 15 minutes to 24 hours). Avoid trying repeatedly, as that can extend the lock.

Use account recovery – Go to the Microsoft account recovery page and follow the steps to verify your identity with alternate information, like a backup email.

Contact Microsoft support – If you urgently need access, contacting Microsoft support directly is the safest route. Explain that SMS/call verification isn’t working and that MFA wasn’t set up. They can verify your identity manually.

If you have any old devices still signed in with that account, sometimes you can use those to approve the login without SMS or calls.
Andrej Pirman SGH 20 Reputation points

2026-02-18T07:34:17.5233333+00:00

Hi @Raja Pothuraju , thank you for being so kind and offer me support. I did resolve the issue by contacting Microsoft support, which resolved the issue by resetting MFA methods on my account.

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Raja Pothuraju 45,870 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-17T11:10:15.82+00:00

Hello Andrej Pirman SGH,

Kindly share the affected email address, tenant ID, phone number and country name via private message.
Mukesh D 30 Reputation points

2026-02-18T02:20:54.53+00:00

Hi Andrej,

It sounds like your account is temporarily locked due to multiple failed verification attempts. Unfortunately, when SMS or calls aren’t working, there’s no quick fix from the usual login screens. Here’s what you can do:

Wait it out – Microsoft usually unlocks accounts automatically after a short period (anywhere from 15 minutes to 24 hours). Avoid trying repeatedly, as that can extend the lock.

Use account recovery – Go to the Microsoft account recovery page and follow the steps to verify your identity with alternate information, like a backup email.

Contact Microsoft support – If you urgently need access, contacting Microsoft support directly is the safest route. Explain that SMS/call verification isn’t working and that MFA wasn’t set up. They can verify your identity manually.

If you have any old devices still signed in with that account, sometimes you can use those to approve the login without SMS or calls.
Andrej Pirman SGH 20 Reputation points

2026-02-18T07:34:17.5233333+00:00

Hi @Raja Pothuraju , thank you for being so kind and offer me support. I did resolve the issue by contacting Microsoft support, which resolved the issue by resetting MFA methods on my account.

Answer 1

Dear @Andrej Pirman SGH,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.  

As a moderator, I don't have the tools to investigate your specific tenant directly because this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators and contributors, including external Microsoft employees, cannot directly intervene in Microsoft product features or access back-end systems. Our role is limited to providing technical guidance on reported issues, requests, or ideas. However, I will try my best to guide you as clearly as possible.

While waiting for Raja Pothuraju to respond, you can take a look at the two options below.

I believe Microsoft is implementing Mandatory MFA for critical administration portals to reduce the risk of tenant hijacking. When your tenant reaches the enforcement phase, account is forced to use MFA during their next login, even if they haven't configured the Authenticator app previously. While I cannot investigate your specific backend, the information regarding mandatory MFA rollout is confirmed.

May I ask if you can use an alternative authentication method, such as SMS or a phone call? If possible, please try using one of those to see if you can log in.

In the event that no login methods work, am I correct in assuming that you are the Global Admin account for that tenant?

If in this case, please help me follow two scenarios as below.

Scenario 1: If your organization has another Global Admin

Please kindly help me contact another Global Admin and ask them to revoke MFA from the Microsoft Entra admin center, then you will log back into your account on your phone and set up MFA from scratch. References:

Manage authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multi-factor authentication - Microsoft Entra ID …

Scenario 2: You are the only Global Admin for that tenant.

In this case, only the Microsoft Data Protection Team has the authority to perform these actions.

They are the team that has the tools and the authority to verify your permissions for the tenant, and after that, they will help you reconfigure your MFA so you can log back into your account on your phone and set up MFA from scratch. Please follow the two options below to contact the Data Protection Team so they can verify your account and perform the reconfiguration for you.

Option 1:

You might need to contact Data Protection Team via phone service number via this link: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support. The agent will be able to create a ticket for you under the affected tenant and then transfer this ticket to Data Protection team. The biggest goal is to get past the IVR (automated system) to a live agent and emphasize this critically important security factor. Please help me try this script as below, this is a script commonly used for authentication issues to bypass the IVR; however, you can also try using it to reach a live agent. Please help me speak loudly, only keywords, clearly, and patiently waiting for the machine to respond. First, when you call the hotline, they will ask you what kind of problem you are struggling with.

Answer: Authenticator.  
A: What products do you use?  
B: Office 365 for business.  
Verification: Education or company account?  
B: For companies  
A: Are you an administrator?  
B: Yes.  
A: Are there any other administrators in your organization?  
B: No.  
A: I need one.... Service request?  
B: Yes

Option 2:

Create a new tenant with trial subscription to access and submit a ticket in Admin Center.

If you still can't get through to a real person for help, help me try this:

Register for a free trial (new tenant with trial subscription) of Microsoft 365 at this link: Compare All Microsoft 365 Plans | Microsoft. The goal is to create a temporary Global Admin account so you can log in to the Microsoft Admin Center. Once you're in, you can submit a support ticket directly to Microsoft. Please remember to cancel the trial subscription once your issue is resolved to avoid any unintended charges.

How to Submit the Support Ticket in Admin Center: Get support - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn

Please take a look and see which scenario fits your account. I am standing by to assist with any information. If you have any questions or require further clarification, do not hesitate to reach out.

Looking forward to your response!

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Jeanie H 11,815 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-17T23:19:11.3266667+00:00

Dear @Andrej Pirman SGH,

I hope you’re doing well.

Could you please check the private message from Raja Pothuraju in your private messages so that he can assist you? To access the private message, there will be a notification at the top of your post, please help me click on “View message.”

Thank you so much for your time.
Andrej Pirman SGH 20 Reputation points

2026-02-18T07:37:14.6366667+00:00

Option 1 was the way to success. Indeed, bypassing the automation is the biggest chellenge. But once I got to Get Suport, response was reasonably quick.
Jeanie H 11,815 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-18T23:29:01.02+00:00

Dear @Andrej Pirman SGH,

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and for confirming that Option 1 worked for you.

You’re absolutely right, bypassing the automation can be the biggest challenge.

Your feedback is very valuable and will certainly help other community members who may run into a similar situation. If you have any additional insights or questions, please don’t hesitate to share.

Thanks again for contributing to the discussion and have a great day ahead.

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Unable to verify account via SMS or call to mobile number

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