Stuck in Microsoft Authenticator MFA loop – cannot sign in to Azure / account

Question

Hello,

I am stuck in a multi-factor authentication loop when trying to sign in to my Microsoft account used by my university.

Account:

Organization:

When I try to sign in, the system asks me to approve the login using the Microsoft Authenticator app or enter a verification code from the app.

However, the Authenticator app on my phone does not contain this account anymore (it was likely removed when I changed/reinstalled my phone). Because of this, I cannot approve the request or generate the verification code.

I also cannot access the Azure portal or security settings because the login process always stops at the MFA step. Even opening a support ticket requires signing in first.

I can still access Outlook web in some cases, but any attempt to access Azure or security settings asks for the Authenticator verification again.

Is there any way for a user to recover access in this situation, or does the tenant administrator need to reset MFA for the account?

Thank you for any guidance.

Answer 1

In this situation, self-service recovery is not possible. The tenant administrator must reset the multifactor authentication (MFA) settings for the account.

Key points from the scenario and available guidance:

1. When the Microsoft Authenticator app is lost, removed, or no longer has the account, and there is no working alternative sign-in method (such as SMS, office phone, or another app), the user cannot complete MFA and therefore cannot access Azure, security info, or the MFA setup pages.
2. In this case, the only resolution is for an administrator in the organization to reset the user’s MFA settings so the user can register MFA again.

For a university/work account like the one described, the steps are:

1. Contact the organization’s IT/help desk or Microsoft 365/Azure administrator (for example, the university’s IT support).
2. Ask them to reset or clear the MFA settings for the account. In Microsoft Entra ID, an admin can:
   • Go to the user in the Entra/Microsoft 365 admin portal.
   • Use the “Require re-register multifactor authentication” or equivalent option to force re-registration of MFA methods.
3. After the reset, sign in again. The next time sign-in is attempted, the system will prompt to set up MFA from scratch (scan QR code in Microsoft Authenticator or configure another method).

If the user is the only administrator for a tenant (not the case for a typical university account, but relevant in other scenarios), Microsoft’s Data Protection team must be involved via a support call to reset the admin’s MFA, as shown in the referenced Q&A threads.

Until an admin resets MFA, the loop cannot be broken because every access path to change security settings is protected by the same MFA requirement that currently cannot be satisfied.

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References:

• Use a screen reader to set up and troubleshoot multifactor authentication
• Can't use Azure Multi-Factor Authentication to sign in to cloud services after you lose your phone or the phone number changes
• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
• How Do I Regain Access to My Account After Losing Access to Microsoft Authenticator? (Urgent Request). - 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 sending me into a spiral - Microsoft Q&A
• I need to reset my mfa methods - Microsoft Q&A
• Requesting a Tenant Admin MFA Reset - Microsoft Q&A
• "Account verification system is having trouble" error message when you try to sign in by using a work or school account
• How to add your accounts to Microsoft Authenticator