Can't login to Microsoft 365 Admin panel - Authenticator app problem

Question

Hi,

I have Microsoft 365 Business and I can't login to Admin panel.

This is my Admin email: *[Moderator note: Personal information removed].*onmicrosoft.com

Everything works fine, my domain is connected to exchange, email works.

But at the beginning I must have done some mistake while setting up Admin account and 2-step verification via Authenticator app.

Now I can't login to Admin panel since I don't get notification on Authenticator app nor can I see the verification code.

But Authenticator app works, I use it for my personal Microsoft 365 account and also for my work email that I initially created in Admin panel (on the first day, when it worked).

Please help, I need to set up new email address for my employees.

Answer 1

Hello @Marko Ptiček, 

Thanks for your update.

As you still have trouble using the frontline support, you can try set up a new trial tenant and submit your support request:   

• Visit the Microsoft 365 Enterprise Plans page: Go to Compare Office 365 Enterprise Pricing and Plans | Microsoft 365.   
• Choose a plan and start a free trial: Select any of the available plans and click "Try for free" to begin the trial setup process.    

   

• Follow the guided setup: Complete the steps to create a new Microsoft account and a new tenant. This will be a separate and independent Microsoft 365 environment.   
• Access the Microsoft 365 Admin Center: Once the new tenant is created, navigate to https://admin.microsoft.com/.   
• Go to Support:  
  • After clicking on "Help & Support" button like this image, you can type "I need help". After that, you can click on "Contact support"  
  
  • Choose contact method: "Phone" or "Email"  
  
• Raise a support ticket: Describe your issue in detail. Crucially, you must clearly state that you are locked out of a different, pre-existing Microsoft 365 tenant where you are the administrator. Provide the following information about your locked account:    
  • Your administrator account email address for the locked tenant.   
  • The domain name of your locked tenant    
  • Any error messages you are receiving.   
  • Details about the authentication issues you are experiencing.   
  • Confirmation that you are the administrator of the locked tenant.   
  
  • Finally, clicking on "Contact me".  

Important notes:   

• This new trial tenant will not give you access to any of the data or settings in your original locked tenant. It is solely a temporary means to contact Microsoft support.   
• Be prepared for Microsoft support to ask for verification of your identity and administrative rights for the locked tenant.   
• The resolution time might be longer as you are contacting support from a different tenant.   
• Remember to cancel the trial subscription for the new tenant once your issue with the original account is resolved to avoid any unintended charges. You can typically do this within the Microsoft 365 Admin Center under "Billing" -> "Your products." 

I hope you'll successfully reach out to the Data Protection Team this way as they're the only team have the tools to assist with your situation. Thank you for your kindness and understanding so far!

Answer 2

Hello @Marko Ptiček, 

Thank you for posting your valuable question on Microsoft Q&A forum.   

Based on the details you shared, may I ask if you have any alternative method to sign-in besides Authenticator? If yes, please try sign-in using this alternative method. 

 

If you don't have any alternative sign-in method, you'll need to revoke your MFA access, which will allow you to set up Authenticator on a new device and then you can access other Microsoft services (like Admin portal).  

Please check to see if there are other IT admins in your organization who can help you with the reset. 

Ask your administrator to follow these steps:    

• Go to Microsoft Entra Admin Center: https://entra.microsoft.com  
• Navigate to Users > All Users.  
• Select your user account.  
• Go to Authentication Methods.  
• Click "Require re-register multifactor authentication".  

  

This will reset your MFA settings. The next time you sign in, you’ll be prompted to set up the Authenticator app again using a QR code.  

If you are the only administrator in your organization, this request cannot be handled through the Microsoft Q&A forum due to security and privacy limitations. In this case, you will need to contact the Microsoft Data Protection team, as they are the only group authorized and equipped with the necessary tools and verification procedures to confirm your identity and restore administrator access. 

Please try to find the related hotline number to call the frontline and let them raise a ticket for you: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support 

Please carefully follow this instruction to ask for Microsoft Data Protection team support:   

Depending on your country or region. For some countries, when calling the support number, although there are about 30 seconds opening as something "you can visit the link...." But you can ignore this opening and wait until the option, then "1" as a business email user, "1" again for technical help.   

For some countries, it will be an automated conversation like:    

First, when you call the hotline, it asks what kind of problem you are worried about.   

Answered: authenticator.   

A: What kind of product are you using?   

B: Office 365 for business.   

A confirmation: education or company account?   

B: For companies   

A: Are you an administrator?   

B: Yes.   

A: Do you have the other admin in your organization?   

B: No.   

A: You need one.... Service request?   

B: Yes   

If your organization's Office 365 Business/Education subscription is from a partner or reseller, and the global administrator is unable to open a service request on your end, contact the reseller's support provider to help open a service request on behalf of you instead.   

Please understand that forum moderators have no control over user accounts, especially when it comes to logging in to your account, resetting your password, changing your access, etc.   

I hope you can successfully revoke your access. If you encounter any difficulties in contacting the frontline support, please feel free to let me know. Thank you and I wish you a great day!  

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Answer 3

If you're unable to log in to your Microsoft 365 Admin panel due to issues with the Authenticator app, here are some steps you can take to regain access:

1. Contact Microsoft Data Protection Support: Since you are the sole administrator, you will need to reach out to Microsoft support to reset your multi-factor authentication (MFA) settings. You can do this by calling their customer service hotline. When prompted, indicate that you are having issues with the Authenticator app and that you are the only admin for your organization.
2. Use the IVR System Effectively: When you call, follow these prompts:
   • Select "1" for business email users.
   • Select "1" again for technical support.
   • Confirm that you are a company account and that you are the only administrator.
   • Request a service request to reset your MFA.
3. Create a Temporary Account (Trial Tenant): If you cannot reach a support agent, consider creating a new trial Microsoft 365 tenant. This will allow you to access the Admin Center and submit a support ticket requesting assistance for your locked account. Be sure to cancel the trial once your issue is resolved to avoid any charges.
4. Alternative Sign-in Methods: If you have any alternative sign-in methods set up (like SMS or email verification), try using those to log in.

By following these steps, you should be able to regain access to your Admin panel and set up new email addresses for your employees.

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References:

• Can't log in to my business account because it is requiring Authenticator app which I do not have - Microsoft Q&A
• Requesting a Tenant Admin MFA Reset - Microsoft Q&A