How do i reset authenticator to register my new email?

Question

Hi

Ive created a new account but i cant get it to register on authenticator, can any body help me. Or pass on a contact for Microsoft

Cheers

Answer 1

To register a new email/account in Microsoft Authenticator, first ensure the app itself is working, then add the new account and, if needed, reset MFA on that account so it can be set up again.

1. If Authenticator is asking to restore or sign in
   • On Android, if you see Restore from backup or Begin recovery, use that first to restore any existing accounts before adding new ones. If you already signed in, sign out and then choose Restore from backup. Details are in the Android section here: open Authenticator → Restore from backup → sign in with the recovery account used for backup.
   • If you cannot restore, you can still add accounts again manually.
2. Add the new email/account to Authenticator
   • Open Microsoft Authenticator.
   • Tap Add account or the + button.
   • Choose the appropriate type (for example, Work or school account or Personal Microsoft account).
   • Follow the sign-in or QR-code instructions shown on the screen or in the security setup page of that new account.
3. If the account is protected with MFA and you are locked in a loop
   • For work or school accounts where Authenticator is the only MFA method and cannot be used, an admin must reset MFA:
     • A tenant/global admin can go to the Microsoft Entra admin center → Users → All users → select the user → Authentication methods → Require re-register multifactor authentication. After this, the next sign-in will prompt to set up Authenticator again.
   • If the user is an end user, contact the organization’s Microsoft 365/Entra administrator and ask them to reset MFA as above.
4. If the user is the only admin and is locked out
   • Contact Microsoft support by phone and ask for the Data Protection team to help reset MFA for the tenant admin account. Use the regional number from Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support and clearly state that this is a business/tenant admin account and that there is no other admin.
5. If Authenticator shows passkey or passwordless sign-in instead of codes
   • For work or school accounts, only the account name is restored from backup; passwordless sign-in must be set up again after signing in.
   • If a passkey is invalid or cannot be used, delete it from Authenticator and from the account’s Security info page, then set up a new passkey.
6. If unable to restore Authenticator backup at all
   • If the backup account for Authenticator cannot be accessed, support cannot restore those credentials. In that case, re-add each account manually using its own recovery/MFA reset process.

For a new email/account, once MFA is reset (if needed) and the account’s security setup page is open, Authenticator should accept the registration normally via QR code or sign-in.

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References:

• Restore account credentials from Microsoft Authenticator
• Register the password reset verification method for a work or school account
• Troubleshoot signing in with a passkey
• Register passkeys in Authenticator on Android or iOS devices
• Microsoft authenticator sending me into a spiral - Microsoft Q&A
• I need to reset my mfa methods - Microsoft Q&A
• 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
• Microsoft Authenticator app doesn't show 6-digit OTP code - Microsoft Q&A
• Help with the Microsoft account recovery form
• How to use two-step verification with your Microsoft account