I am company administrator and need to rest my 2FA

Question

-I do not have access to my previous phone, I am unable to get the authentication code to access my administrator profile. When i try use an alternative (txt) I get an error.

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Moved from: Microsoft 365 and Office | Access | For business | Windows

Answer 1

Hello @Chris W

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum. 

I’m truly sorry for the inconvenience and frustration this situation has caused. Based on the information you shared, it appears that you are currently unable to access your tenant because you are the only administrator, and you no longer have access to the Authenticator app, with no alternative MFA method configured.

To gain access to your account again when you are the only admin of the tenant, our Data Protection team can support you in this matter by using established tools and processes to verify your identity and help restore secure access to your administrator account. 

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, 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    

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

(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.)     

In some regions, the initial interaction may be automated, so here’s a general idea of how the conversation might go to help you prepare:       

• What kind of problem are you experiencing?
• Answer: Authenticator
• What products do you use?
• Answer: Office 365 for business
• Is this for an education or company account?
• Answer: For companies
• Are you an administrator?
• Answer: Yes
• Are there any other administrators in your organization?
• Answer: No. I am the only admin in my tenant
• Do you need a... Service request?
• Answer: Yes. I need to create a ticket. Please send me direct to the Data Protection Teams.

If your organization's Office 365 Business/Education subscription is from a partner or reseller, and the global administrator is unable to open a service request on your end, contact the reseller's support provider to help open a service request on behalf of you instead.    

I hope this information helps you take the right steps to regain access to your account. If you have any updates or additional details, please feel free to leave a comment under this post. I’ll be happy to assist further within my scope. 

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Answer 2

Because the previous phone and Authenticator are unavailable and text verification is failing, the 2FA/MFA methods must be reset by an administrator or by Microsoft support, depending on whether there is another Global Admin in the tenant.

Follow the path that matches the situation:

1. If there is another Global/tenant admin in the organization
   1. Ask that admin to sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center.
   2. Go to Users → All users → select the affected admin account.
   3. Open Authentication methods.
   4. Select Require re-register multifactor authentication and save.
   5. Next time sign-in is attempted, the portal will prompt to set up MFA again (new Authenticator app, phone, etc.).
2. If you are the only Global Admin on the tenant In this case, self-service reset is not possible and Microsoft’s Data Protection team must verify identity and reset MFA:
   1. Call Microsoft using the regional number listed under Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support.
   2. When the IVR asks for the issue, clearly state that this is an Authenticator / MFA problem for Office 365 for business, that it is a company account, and that you are the only administrator and are locked out.
   3. Ask the agent to open a service request with the Data Protection / Tenant Recovery team to reset the admin’s MFA methods.
   4. Be prepared to provide tenant and admin details and complete identity verification.
   If reaching support directly is difficult, an alternative is:
   1. Create a new temporary Microsoft 365 trial tenant (a separate environment).
   2. Sign in to the new tenant’s Microsoft 365 admin center.
   3. Use Support → Help & support to open a ticket, clearly stating that access is needed to a different, existing tenant where you are the only Global Admin and are locked out due to MFA.
   4. Work with support/Data Protection from there to recover the original tenant. Remember to cancel the trial once the original tenant is recovered.

If there are other admins, using the “Require re-register multifactor authentication” option is the fastest fix. If not, only Microsoft’s Data Protection process can safely reset the admin’s MFA.

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References:

• Can't use Azure Multi-Factor Authentication to sign in to cloud services after you lose your phone or the phone number changes
• You don't receive a text or voice call that contains the verification code for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication
• 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
• I need to reset my mfa methods - Microsoft Q&A
• Requesting a Tenant Admin MFA Reset - Microsoft Q&A
• Global Admin Locked out - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft authenticator sending me into a spiral - Microsoft Q&A
• Use a screen reader to set up and troubleshoot multifactor authentication
• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
• "Account verification system is having trouble" error message when you try to sign in by using a work or school account