Issues with authenticator

Question

I cannot contact to my authenticator on my phone. I need help. Can I call someone please to help me. Or can someone call me please -

Answer 1

Hi @Danita Garner,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Thank you for reaching out about the issue with the Microsoft Authenticator app.

To help me better assist you, could you please clarify the following:

• Have you previously set up the Microsoft Authenticator app on any device for this account, or is this your first time trying to sign in?
• If so, are you currently using the same device where you originally registered the Authenticator app? Have you recently switched to a new device?

As the account type has not been specified, I may not be able to provide an exact solution. If you are using a work or school account, please refer to the following steps. If your account is not a work or school account, kindly share your account type so I can provide the correct instructions or connect you with the right team.

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• If this is your first time signing in and the app hasn’t been set up yet, you may find it helpful to follow this official guide to get started: How to add your accounts to Microsoft Authenticator - Microsoft Support.
• You can also refer to this article for instructions on signing in using the app: Sign in using Microsoft Authenticator - Microsoft Support.

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However, if you are experiencing issues with the Microsoft Authenticator app, for example after changing your mobile device or phone number, reinstalling the app, or removing the account from it, you may review the options below and determine which best applies to your situation.

Option 1: Contact your IT admins

If you are either an admin or end-user in your company, please contact other IT admins who still have access and share with them the steps outlined in the article Manage user authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication. This will help them assist you in resetting your MFA settings and restoring access to the account.

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Option 2: Contact Microsoft Data Protection Support by phone

(Please proceed with the third option if contacting phone support is not applicable to your situation)

If you're the only admin, you can try reaching out to the Global Customer Service phone to raise a request for resetting your authentication method here: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support.

Please note that forum moderators do not have access to user account settings and cannot assist with logging in, resetting passwords, or changing access rights. While we do not have access to internal systems or administrative tools required to resolve account-specific or backend-related issues, we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities.

Here are some tips and an example of a prompt to help you navigate the IVR more effectively:

IVR: What kind of problem are you concerned about?

You: 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.

IVR: Do you need a... Service request?

You: Yes. I need to create a ticket. Please send me directly to the Data Protection Team.

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Option 3: Create a new tenant to submit a support ticket (Alternative method)

If you cannot reach a live agent, you might consider registering for a new tenant by signing up for a trial subscription via this link Microsoft 365 Business Plans and Pricing | Microsoft 365. This would allow you to create a new tenant following the prompts provided.

Once the new trial tenant is set up, create a support ticket by going to the Microsoft 365 admin center > select Help & Support.

In your ticket description, you'll need to clearly explain that you're the sole admin trying to regain access to your previous Microsoft 365 tenant and need help from the Data Protection team.

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

I hope this helps you regain access to your account quickly. I'm glad to assist and truly hope the information provided has been useful. Please feel free to reach out anytime if you need further assistance.

If you find my post useful, kindly consider upvoting it. Doing so can assist others in the community who may have similar questions in finding solutions more quickly.

Thank you for your kindness and contributions to the forum.

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Answer 2

Phone-based support cannot be provided directly, but there are supported ways to get live help and recover access when Microsoft Authenticator is not working.

1. If this is a work or school (business) account and Microsoft Authenticator is blocking sign-in:
   • If there is an IT/admin team, contact the organization’s Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Entra administrator and ask them to reset or re-register multifactor authentication (MFA) for the account. They can do this from the Microsoft Entra admin center by requiring MFA re-registration.
   • If already tried multiple times and still cannot sign in, wait a bit and try another MFA method if available (such as phone call, SMS, or another registered method). Repeated attempts can be temporarily blocked for security.
2. If locked out and are the only admin on a business tenant:
   • Call Microsoft’s global customer service phone number listed under Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support and ask to open a ticket with the Data Protection team to reset the admin’s MFA. Be ready to confirm that this is a business/organization account and that there is no other admin who can reset MFA.
   • If reaching a live agent is difficult, create a temporary trial Microsoft 365 tenant, go to the admin center for that trial tenant, and open a support ticket from there, clearly stating that access is needed to a different, existing tenant where are the only admin and are locked out due to Authenticator.
3. If this is a personal Microsoft account and verification codes are not received:
   • Use the online Sign-in helper to diagnose sign-in issues.
   • If codes still do not arrive, choose another verification method or wait until can access the registered phone or email. Support agents cannot send verification codes or change security details on the account.
4. If Authenticator is installed but not working correctly on the phone:
   • Ensure push notifications are enabled in the device’s Settings and that the device has network connectivity.
   • If notifications are missing or always expired, verify that the device clock is set to automatic and correct, then restart the device.
   • If some accounts in Authenticator work but others do not, remove the problematic account from the app and add it again, allowing notifications.

If none of these options work and there is no alternative verification method configured, direct assistance must go through the official Microsoft support channels described above; forum moderators and automated tools cannot call or directly access accounts.

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References:

• Troubleshoot problems with Microsoft Authenticator
• Microsoft Authenticator in Link to Windows
• Authentication methods in Microsoft Entra ID - Voice call
• Authenticator Did Not Complete Login
• Use a screen reader to set up and troubleshoot multifactor authentication
• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
• Troubleshoot Microsoft verification code issues
• 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
• Microsoft Authenticator app doesn't show 6-digit OTP code - Microsoft Q&A
• Requesting a Tenant Admin MFA Reset - Microsoft Q&A