Problems logging into Teams

Question

Hello, our organization purchased Microsoft Teams. We have an administrator account: Moderator note: personal info removed@kgipc.onmicrosoft.com. A Microsoft Authenticator was linked to it. When we changed our phone number, it was lost. Now, without it, we can't restore access to our account.

Answer 1

Dear @Нурбек Абасбеков,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A forum. I understand that you are currently locked out of your administrator account because the Microsoft Authenticator was linked to a phone number that is no longer accessible. I know how critical it is to regain access to your Teams environment, and I can guide you through the recovery process. 

Since this is the only administrator account and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is blocking your entry, the solution depends on whether there is another admin in your organization. 

Step 1: If there is another Global Administrator 

If another person has admin rights, they can reset your MFA settings immediately: 

• Have them sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center. 
• Navigate to Users > All users > Select your account. 
• Go to Authentication methods and select Require re-register multifactor authentication. 
• This will allow you to set up the Authenticator app with your new phone number upon your next login. 

For more detailed, you can refer to the official Microsoft guide Manage authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication - Microsoft Entra ID |… 

Step 2: If you are the ONLY Global Administrator 

If there are no other admins to assist you, you must contact the Microsoft Data Protection Team. For security reasons, only this team can manually bypass MFA or reset the "Strong Authentication" requirement for a tenant's sole admin. 

As a member of the community support team, I’m limited in my ability to access or make changes within your administrator account. For security and privacy reasons, only Microsoft’s dedicated support team has the necessary tools and authorization to assist with account-level issues such as resetting or troubleshooting deep within your account.  

Option 1: Contact Microsoft Data Protection Support by Phone (Primary Method):

Please call the global support number for your region. You can find the specific number here: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support 

During the call, request to speak to an agent and share with them every detail related to your query and also mention that you are the only admin who lost access to your account. This should allow you to contact the appropriate team so you can solve this incident as soon as possible.  

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

In some countries, it is an automated conversation like:  

IVR: What kind of problem are you concerned about?        

You: Authenticator.        

IVR: What kind of product do you use?         

You: Office 365 for business.        

IVR confirmation: education or company account?        

You: For companies        

IVR: Are you an administrator?        

You: Yes.        

IVR: Do you have another administrator in your organization?        

You: No.        

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

Note: Sometimes, you would hear the computer-generated voice at first, please kindly wait for it to end, and if an agent is available, you would be directed to them and get your support. During peak hours, there might be high call volumes, so we kindly ask for your patience as we work to assist everyone as quickly as possible.

Option 2: Create a Temporary Account (Trial Tenant) to Submit a Support Ticket (Alternative Method)  

If you still cannot reach to a live agent, there is still a workaround, 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 set up, you can access the admin console of the new tenant and submit a support ticket requesting to speak with the Data Protection team on behalf of your previous tenant.     

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

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. 

Once you regain access, I strongly recommend registering at least two different authentication methods (e.g., the Authenticator app and a secondary email or hardware key) and creating a "Break Glass" account a cloud-only Global Admin account with a very long password that does not require MFA to prevent future lockouts. 

I hope the above information is clear. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Please let me know how it goes after trying the steps above. I’m here to help further if needed.