I got a new phone and Microsoft Authenticator is not working

Question

Hi, what dose " Sign in to your Microsoft account on your new phone" mean in the text below? I have an Iphone anh I am signed in to both One Drive anh Outlook on the phone. I have tried the steps below before and it is not working.
Regards,
An

Answer 1

Hello,

Microsoft does not directly manage organization users. Instead, each organization's IT administrator is responsible for managing its users according to its internal protocols.

You should contact your organization's IT support team. They need to reset your MFA for you in order for this to work. Once the reset is completed, follow these steps:

1. Open your web browser and navigate to https://login.microsoftonline.com.
2. Sign in to your account.
3. You will be prompted to set up MFA again. Make sure to update your phone number during this process.

If your organization's IT administrator requires guidance, they can follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Microsoft Admin Center at https://admin.microsoft.com using their credentials.
2. Navigate to Users > Active Users in the left-hand menu.
3. Select the relevant user.
4. On the user card that appears on the right, scroll to the bottom and click Manage multifactor authentication.
5. On the MFA settings page, locate the user's name, select it, and click Manage user settings on the right.
6. In the pop-up box, check the first box and click Save.

This process will reset MFA for the user, allowing them to set it up again.

Answer 2

Dear @An Dương,

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

First of all, I want to begin by sincerely apologizing for the frustration and inconvenience this issue has caused you.

Based on your description, I understand that you are having issue with the Authenticator app. For better assist, please kindly let me know:

1. Are you experiencing difficulties with the Authenticator app, such as being unable to access your account due to lost access to the Microsoft Authenticator app?
2. May I please confirm if you are using Microsoft 365 work/school account or personal account (such as Outlook.com, live.com or hotmail.com)?
3. If you are using business/school account, so are you an admin or end user?
4. I understand that you have already tried all of the suggested solutions. Could you please let me know which specific steps you have attempted so far?
5. If possible, please take a screenshot of the issue you're experiencing so I can better assist you. 

If you are using a school or education account, as indicated in the account you tagged in your post, I would recommend you contact your IT Admin to reset your MFA settings through the Microsoft Entra Admin Center. Ask your administrator to follow these steps:   

1. Sign in to the entra.microsoft.com as at least one Authentication Administrator. 
2. Select User > All user.  Select the user (your account) to act on and select Authentication methods then select Require re-register of multi-factor authentication.  

Require re-register MFA: This disables all previous authentication methods. You'll then be prompted to configure a new MFA authentication method the next time you try to sign in, so you can set up from the start and add a new authenticator app.  

For step-by-step details, see the official Microsoft documentation: Manage authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multi-factor authentication - Microsoft Entra ID | Microsoft Learn    

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

Note: Once re-registration is triggered, all your existing MFA methods such as phone numbers, Authenticator app, or other verification options will be removed. You will need to set up new MFA methods during your next login. Please ensure you have access to a valid phone number or the Microsoft Authenticator app before attempting to sign in again. 

Please feel free to contact me if you are an admin. I appreciate your patience, and I am here to help. Looking forward to your response!

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Answer 3

In this context, “Sign in to your Microsoft account on your new phone” means:

1. Install and open the Microsoft Authenticator app on the new iPhone.
2. Inside Authenticator, add/sign in with the same Microsoft account that is protected by MFA (the same account used for Teams/Outlook/OneDrive), not just being signed in to Outlook or OneDrive at the OS level.
3. Complete the sign-in flow in Authenticator so the app can receive approval prompts or show verification codes for that account.

Being signed in to Outlook and OneDrive alone is not enough; the account must be added specifically inside the Microsoft Authenticator app as an MFA method.

If the app still “does not work” after signing in, use an alternative verification method (SMS, call, or another method if configured) to get into the Additional security verification / Security info page and then:

1. Remove the old phone entry.
2. Add the new phone or reconfigure Microsoft Authenticator as a sign-in method.

The detailed steps for adding the new phone and Authenticator are described in the MFA and Authenticator troubleshooting articles.

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References:

• Use a screen reader to set up and troubleshoot multifactor authentication
• Microsoft Authenticator FAQs
• Troubleshoot problems with Microsoft Authenticator