Im opening my school account

Question

But the aithenticator app approve sign in request does not appear on my screen

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

Follow these steps to troubleshoot when the Microsoft Authenticator “Approve sign-in request” prompt does not appear:

1. Confirm the correct sign-in method is selected
   • On the school sign-in page, after entering the username and password, select Send notification.
   • If that option is not visible, select Other ways to sign in and then choose Approve a request on my Microsoft Authenticator app.
2. Open Authenticator manually
   • On the phone, open the Microsoft Authenticator app directly.
   • Check if a New sign-in request banner appears at the top of the app.
   • If a number is shown on the computer, tap or enter the same number in Authenticator, then tap Approve.
3. Check notifications and connectivity on the phone
   • Ensure the phone has internet access (Wi‑Fi or mobile data).
   • In the phone’s Settings, verify that:
     • Notifications are allowed for Microsoft Authenticator.
     • “Push notifications” are not blocked by system settings or battery saver.
   • If prompted in Authenticator, unlock the device (PIN/biometric) before confirming sign-in.
4. If using Android and work/school account
   • Make sure Google Play Services and Google Play Store are installed and enabled.
   • Ensure the device requires a PIN or biometric to unlock.
   • In Authenticator: Settings → Device Registration and confirm the work/school account is registered and joined to the organization.
5. Try another verification method
   • If another method is configured (text, call, backup email, Outlook mobile sign-in, etc.), choose Other ways to sign in on the sign-in page and use that method to get in.
   • Once signed in, review security info at https://aka.ms/mysecurityinfo and confirm Authenticator is set up correctly.
6. If sign-in is blocked after many attempts
   • If there have been multiple failed attempts, Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication may temporarily block more attempts.
   • Wait and then try again, or use a different MFA method if available.
   • If suspicious activity is suspected, contact the school’s IT administrator.
7. If it still does not work
   • Contact the school/organization IT help desk or administrator and ask them to:
     • Check the account’s MFA configuration.
     • Reset or require re-registration of MFA so Authenticator can be set up again.

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References:

• Sign in using Microsoft Authenticator
• Work or school account help
• Troubleshoot problems with Microsoft Authenticator
• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
• Use Microsoft Authenticator with Microsoft 365
• Using Outlook mobile to sign in