University 2FA code

Question

Hello Support Team,

I have changed my phone and I already logged in with my Microsoft account on Authenticator. Now I have issues on adding my 2FA for my university platform in Authenticator. The QR code given by the moodle(University App) is not working when I try to use the QR code to add it on my authenticator.

Thank you in advance for your support given.

Best regards,

[Moderator note: personal info removed] 

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Moved from: Microsoft Security | Microsoft Authenticator

Answer 1

Since this forum is a public platform, so I have modified your question to hide your personal for privacy. For future posts, kindly avoid sharing personal or organizational information to protect your data.   

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Hello @Vlad POPESCU (142717),  

Thank you for reaching out to the Q&A forum! 

When you sign back into Microsoft Authenticator on a new phone, only your Microsoft accounts are restored. Third‑party accounts (such as your university’s Moodle 2FA) do not restore automatically, because those services store their MFA configuration on their own systems. 

I hope you understand that since this is a school/university‑managed account, the ability to reset or override MFA is completely controlled by your organization’s IT department. Microsoft cannot directly modify or reset MFA for accounts managed by an educational institution. 

Because of this, you will need to contact your University Helpdesk or IT team and ask them to: 

Revoke or reset your MFA settings in the Microsoft Entra Admin Center (remove the current authentication methods). 

For step-by-step details, refer to the official Microsoft documentation: Manage authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication - Microsoft Entra ID |… 

Once your IT administrator resets your Multi‑Factor Authentication (MFA) configuration, you will be able to set up your university account again by scanning a fresh QR code and successfully adding it to Microsoft Authenticator on your new device.

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I understand that this situation can be a bit complicated to contact your school’s IT department, but only your school's IT department can access the backend settings for your Microsoft 365 account. 

Find Your Microsoft 365 Admin: If you’re unsure who the Global Admin is within your school, you can find guidance on locating them here: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support  

Although I am a forum moderator and do not have access to your backend systems to help you directly, I have provided a detailed guide above that you can share with your school’s IT department.          

Looking forward to hearing from you. 

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Answer 2

It sounds like you're having trouble adding your university's 2FA to the Microsoft Authenticator app after changing your phone. Here are some steps you can try to resolve the issue:

1. Check QR Code: Ensure that the QR code from your university's platform is not expired. Sometimes, these codes have a limited validity period.
2. Manual Entry: If the QR code is not working, see if there's an option to enter the setup key manually. This key is usually provided alongside the QR code.
3. Update Authenticator App: Make sure that your Microsoft Authenticator app is updated to the latest version. An outdated app may cause issues with scanning QR codes.
4. Clear Cache: If you are using the app on an Android device, clearing the cache of the Authenticator app may help resolve any temporary issues.
5. Try a Different Device: If possible, try using another device to scan the QR code to rule out any issues with your phone's camera.
6. Contact University Support: If none of the above solutions work, it may be best to contact your university's IT support for assistance with their specific 2FA setup process.

These steps should help you troubleshoot the issue with adding your university's 2FA to the Microsoft Authenticator app. If you continue to experience problems, further assistance from your university's support team may be necessary.

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References:

• Frequently asked questions about Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication
• Microsoft authenticator sending me into a spiral - Microsoft Q&A