Can not access my admin account due to lost phone

Question

I can no longer access the autorization codes to get access to my admin account.

I literally spent 7 hours in 11 attempts to get access to support, but I never make it past the AI asking for my information. I always seem to strand at different points and than everything gets silent on the other end.

Is there another option than AI to get support and get back into my (business) admin account?

Answer 1

Hi @Frank Eiking,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum, and I’m sorry to hear you're having trouble accessing your Global Admin account. I understand how concerning and it can be to lose access to your Microsoft 365 tenant, especially during the initial setup process.

Because administrator accounts have elevated permissions, Microsoft Entra ID requires them to use multi‑factor authentication (MFA) to maintain a higher level of security. In new tenants, MFA for administrators is enforced automatically through Security Defaults. This protection is enabled by Microsoft by design to reduce the risk of account compromise and is now a standard requirement for administrative access.

With that in mind, please follow the steps below to regain access.

1/ Contact other IT admins

Please check to see if there are other IT admins in your company who can help you with the reset MFA for your account and share with them the steps outlined in the article Manage user authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication. This will help them assist you in resetting your MFA settings and restoring access to your account.

2/ Contact Microsoft Data Protection Support by phone

If you're the only admin, in this situation, the Microsoft Data Protection Team has tools and processes in place to verify identity and regain access to administrator accounts. You can try reaching out to our Global Customer Service phone to raise a request for resetting your authentication method here: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support.

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

Here are some tips and an example of a prompt to help you navigate the IVR more effectively:     

IVR: What kind of problem are you concerned about?   You: Authenticator.   

A: What products do you use?   You: Office 365 for business.

Verification: Education or company account?   You: For companies

IVR: Are you an administrator?    You: Yes.

IVR: Are there any other administrators in your organization?    You: No.

IVR: Do you need a... Service request?    You: Yes. I need to create a ticket. Please send me directly to the Data Protection Team.

3/ Create a new tenant to submit a support ticket

If you cannot reach a live agent, there is still a workaround, you might consider registering for a new tenant by signing up for a trial subscription.

To set up a new tenant, please follow these steps:

Visit Microsoft 365 Business Plans and Pricing | Microsoft 365. This would allow you to create a new tenant following the prompts provided. Once set up, you can access the admin console of the new tenant and submit a support ticket requesting to speak with the Data Protection team on behalf of your previous tenant.

Follow the guided setup process to create a new account for a new tenant.

Once your tenant is created, you should be able to access the support portal and submit your ticket referencing your locked account without further issues.

In your ticket description, you'll need to clearly explain that you're trying to regain access to your previous Microsoft 365 tenant and need help from the Data Protection team. Here's a message you can use or adapt:

"Hello, I’m currently unable to access my previous Microsoft 365 tenant due to losing MFA access, which prevents me from receiving verification codes. I’m the global admin, but I’m locked out and unable to generate a QR code or bypass MFA.

I created this new tenant solely to request assistance. I kindly ask to be connected with the Data Protection team to verify my identity and help me recover access to the original tenant.

This is urgent, as I rely on Microsoft 365 for my work and have been unable to operate for several days. I’m available to provide any documentation or verification needed to support the recovery process."

Ticket Support: In the Microsoft 365 Admin Center > Support > Help & Support.

Please remember to cancel the trial subscription after your issue is resolved, as this will help you avoid any accidental billing. You may prefer the following resource for detailed instructions: Cancel your Microsoft business subscription in the Microsoft 365 admin center | Microsoft Learn

 

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. Please feel free to reach out anytime if you need further assistance.

If you find my post helpful, kindly consider marking it as the accepted answer. Doing so can assist others in the community who may have similar questions in finding solutions more quickly.

Thank you for your kindness and contributions to the forum.

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Answer 2

If you are unable to access your Microsoft 365 admin account due to losing your phone and cannot receive the authorization codes, there are a couple of options you can try to regain access:

1. Contact Microsoft Data Protection Support by Phone: Since you are the only administrator, you can reach out to Microsoft’s Global Customer Service. When you call, make sure to explain that you are locked out of your account and cannot access the Microsoft Authenticator app. Be prepared to provide details about your account to verify your identity.
2. Create a Temporary Account (Trial Tenant): If you are unable to reach a live agent, you can create a new trial tenant. This will allow you to access the admin console of the new tenant and submit a support ticket requesting help from the Data Protection team regarding your locked account. Make sure to include details about your original account in the support request.

These methods should help you get in touch with the appropriate support team to resolve your access issues.

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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
• Requesting a Tenant Admin MFA Reset - Microsoft Q&A