Authenticator codes not working

Question

Authenticator codes not working

Katherine James 0

My authenticator codes are not working on multiple apps/sites that use it. I do not have a new phone and the app was working last week. I can see the codes, but when i enter them the websites are saying they are wrong. This is happening across work and personal accounts and I am really worried about it.

Pauline Mbabu 1,835 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2026-04-10T17:54:27.7533333+00:00

Hello Katherine,
Thank you for reaching out.
When authenticator codes suddenly stop working across multiple apps and both work and personal accounts even though the app was working recently and you haven’t changed phones; the most common cause is a time sync issue on the phone, where the device clock is slightly out of sync, causing all time‑based codes to be rejected. Fix this by toggling automatic date/time and time zone off, restarting the phone, then turning them back on, and also using Microsoft Authenticator → Settings → Time correction for codes → Sync now; then wait for a new code cycle and try again. This scenario is usually not a hack, since compromises don’t typically break all accounts at once. Only if this fails should you use alternative sign‑in options or contact your work IT admin for MFA reset assistance.

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Pauline Mbabu 1,835 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2026-04-10T17:54:27.7533333+00:00

Hello Katherine,
Thank you for reaching out.
When authenticator codes suddenly stop working across multiple apps and both work and personal accounts even though the app was working recently and you haven’t changed phones; the most common cause is a time sync issue on the phone, where the device clock is slightly out of sync, causing all time‑based codes to be rejected. Fix this by toggling automatic date/time and time zone off, restarting the phone, then turning them back on, and also using Microsoft Authenticator → Settings → Time correction for codes → Sync now; then wait for a new code cycle and try again. This scenario is usually not a hack, since compromises don’t typically break all accounts at once. Only if this fails should you use alternative sign‑in options or contact your work IT admin for MFA reset assistance.

Answer 1

Nicholas Chang 1 MVP

Hi Katherine,

Let us know if you still having the issue. some common fix is

Go to your phone’s settings and turn OFF automatic date/time and time zone.

Restart your phone.
Turn ON automatic date/time and time zone again.
Open Microsoft Authenticator, go to Settings → Time correction for codes → Sync now (on Android; on iOS, ensure your phone’s time is set automatically).
Wait for a new code cycle and try again

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