Lost Access to Authenticator Due to Phone Change

Question

Dear Support Team,

I am using M365 Business License for personal use, where I have a single account with email address as [Moderator note: personal info removed]@CompanyName.onmicrosoft.com. I have recently change my phone without get authenticator app setup on my new device and formated the existing one.

Now I am locked out of my account as there was no secondary medhod setup for the MFA.

what is the best method to get access to my account.

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Moved from: Microsoft 365 and Office | Other

Answer 1

Dear @Muhammad Asim,

Good day! Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum!

Based on your description, I understand that you’re using a Microsoft 365 Business license for personal use and have lost access to your account after changing your phone. Since the Microsoft Authenticator app was not set up on your new device and the old phone was formatted, you no longer have a secondary authentication method configured, which has resulted in you being locked out of your account. You’re now looking for the best way to regain access to your Microsoft 365 account.

I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by this issue.

If you're the only admin in your Business tenant, in this situation, the Microsoft Data Protection Team has tools and processes in place to verify identity and regain access to administrator accounts. 

Please note 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. 

Therefore, if you are the only administrator in your organization, then you need to involve Microsoft Data Protection Team. Please try to find the related hotline number to call the frontline let them raise a ticket for you: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support (Scroll down for Business users) 

In some countries, this is an automated conversation: 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 

(Important Note: Sometimes, you would hear the computer-generated voice at first, please kindly wait for it to end, and if an agent is available, you would be directed to them and get your support. Depending on your country or region, when you call the support number, you may hear an introduction of about 30 seconds such as "You can visit the link...". You can ignore this introduction and wait until you are presented with the options. Then press "1" as a business email user, and again "1" for technical help.) 

As an alternative, you can create a new tenant account and submit your request from there.    

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

• Visit Compare Office 365 Enterprise Pricing and Plans | Microsoft 365, choose any plan and click try for free to start a free trial.    
• 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 the ticket's description, you could refer to this message "Hello,

I am currently locked out of my Microsoft 365 tenant because multi-factor authentication is enforced, and I am unable to complete the verification process. I am the only global administrator for this tenant, which means I cannot access my account or the tenant.

To resolve this, I have created a new tenant and would like to be connected with the Data Protection Team to verify my identity and assist with regaining access. I am available to provide any required documentation or verification to support the recovery process."

Ticket Support: Log in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center using your newly created trial admin account > Support > Help & Support. You can raise support ticket at: https://admin.microsoft.com/#/support/requests 

After completing them, you will receive an email appointment for a meeting to review this issue professionally together. 

For more details, you could refer to this article: Get support for Microsoft 365 for business 

Please remember to cancel the trial subscription once your issue is resolved to avoid any unintended charges.

Note: After creating the support ticket, please kindly let me know the ticket number so I could also track its process to help you regain access to your account/tenant.

I'm here and happy to help! Thank you for your kindness and patience!

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Answer 2

To regain access to your Microsoft 365 account after losing access to the Microsoft Authenticator app, you have a couple of options:

1. Contact Microsoft Data Protection Support by Phone: Since you are the only user and administrator of your account, you should reach out to Microsoft Support. When you call, explain your situation and mention that you are locked out due to the inability to use the Authenticator app. They have processes in place to verify your identity and help you regain access.
   • When calling, you may navigate through the automated system by selecting options related to authentication issues and confirming that you are the sole administrator.
2. Create a Temporary Account (Trial Tenant): If you're unable to reach support directly, you can create a new trial tenant. This will allow you to access the admin console and submit a support ticket to the Data Protection team regarding your locked account. However, keep in mind that this new tenant will not give you access to your original data.
   • After setting up the new tenant, you can submit a support request detailing your locked account situation, including your email address and any error messages you receive.

Make sure to provide all relevant information to expedite the support process.

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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