Locked out of Microsoft account due to lost phone and lost Microsoft Authenticator (2-step verification enabled)

Question

Hello,

I am unable to sign in to my Microsoft account [Moderator note: personal info removed]@techyrecruit.com

The problem is that two-step verification is enabled on my account, and the only available method is Microsoft Authenticator.

Unfortunately:

• I lost my phone that had the Microsoft Authenticator app.

• My SIM card is also lost, so I cannot receive SMS codes.

• I know my account password and can complete the first sign-in step.

• However, I get stuck on the second verification step asking for the Authenticator code.

I tried the account recovery process, but because two-step verification is enabled, I cannot bypass the second verification step.

Is there any way to reset my security information or remove the existing authenticator so that I can regain access to my account?

I can verify my identity and provide any information needed.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi @Chandan Kumar Sharma,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.      

I’m very sorry to hear about your situation. Regarding that you can't access your admin account. 

If you don't have any other admin account in this situation, the Microsoft Data Protection team has tools and processes in place to verify identity and regain access to administrator accounts.    

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, If you are the only administrator in your organization,  then you need to involve Microsoft data protection team. 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 

*(Important Note: Depending on your country or region, 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 countries, this is an automated conversation: First, when you call the hotline, they will ask you what kind of problem you are struggling with.    

Answer: Authenticator.    

A: What products do you use?    

B: Office 365 for business.    

Verification: Education or company account?    

B: For companies    

A: Are you an administrator?    

B: Yes.    

A: Are there any other administrators in your organization?    

B: No.    

A: I need one.... Service request?    

B: Yes    

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.    

Alternatively, you can try set up a new trial tenant and submit your support request:   

1. Visit the Microsoft 365 Enterprise Plans page: Go to Compare Office 365 Enterprise Pricing and Plans | Microsoft 365.   
2. Choose a plan and start a free trial: Select any of the available plans and click "Try for free" to begin the trial setup process.   
3. Follow the guided setup: Complete the steps to create a new Microsoft account and a new tenant. This will be a separate and independent Microsoft 365 environment.   
4. Access the Microsoft 365 Admin Center: Once the new tenant is created, navigate to https://admin.microsoft.com/.   
5. Go to Support: In the left-hand navigation menu, click on "Support" and then "Help & support."   
6. Raise a support ticket: Describe your issue in detail. Crucially, you must clearly state that you are locked out of a different, pre-existing Microsoft 365 tenant where you are the administrator. Provide the following information about your locked account:    
   • Your administrator account email address for the locked tenant.   
   • The domain name of your locked tenant    
   • Any error messages you are receiving.   
   • Details about the authentication issues you are experiencing.   
   • Confirmation that you are the administrator of the locked tenant.   
7. Submit your ticket: Follow the prompts to submit your support request. You will likely receive a ticket number for tracking.   

When you open a support ticket, please make sure to turn off the Support Assistant (AI) in the help panel.  

Several customers have reported issues when the Support Assistant is turned on  the system sometimes fails to display the “Contact Support” option.  

As shown in the screenshot, simply switch Support Assistant → Off, then type your issue description.  Once the AI is off, the “Contact Support” button will appear normally, allowing you to submit a ticket directly.  

Important notes:    

• This new trial tenant will not give you access to any of the data or settings in your original locked tenant. It is solely a temporary means to contact Microsoft support.   
• Be prepared for Microsoft support to ask for verification of your identity and administrative rights for the locked tenant.   
• The resolution time might be longer as you are contacting support from a different tenant.   
• Remember to cancel the trial subscription for the new tenant once your issue with the original account is resolved to avoid any unintended charges. You can typically do this within the Microsoft 365 Admin Center under "Billing" -> "Your products."   

I hope these steps will help resolve your issue. If you need further assistance, we are always here to help.     

Thank you again for your time and understanding. While my initial response may not resolve the issue immediately, I’d like to gather more details about your situation so I can assist you more effectively.    

I really appreciate your patience, and I’m here to help. Looking forward to your response.   

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Answer 2

Because two-step verification is turned on and there is no access to any of the configured verification methods (Microsoft Authenticator or SMS), the account cannot be recovered through normal sign-in or support escalation.

For Microsoft personal accounts, when two-step verification is enabled and none of the alternate methods are available, support agents are not allowed to reset security info, remove Authenticator, or bypass the second step. The only available path is the self-service account recovery process, and if that also requires a second factor that cannot be provided, access cannot be restored.

The documented guidance is:

1. If any security info is still accessible (another phone, email, or method), sign in to the Advanced security options page and add a new way to sign in or verify, then remove the old Authenticator/phone.
2. If all security info is lost but the password is known, start sign-in, choose I don't have any of these at the "Verify your identity" prompt, and follow the instructions to replace security info. After replacement, there is a 30‑day wait before sign-in is allowed.
3. If the password is not known and no security info is accessible, use the Account recovery form as described in the recovery documentation.

However, the recovery documentation explicitly states that if two-step verification is turned on and none of the alternate methods can be used to get a verification code, Microsoft support cannot help further and cannot override or reset the verification requirement.

Given the conditions described:

• Two-step verification is enabled.
• The only configured method is Microsoft Authenticator on a lost phone.
• The SIM/phone number is also lost and cannot receive SMS.
• No other recovery methods (email, additional phone, etc.) are available.

There is no supported way to reset the security information or remove the existing Authenticator for that account. The account will remain inaccessible unless at least one of the original verification methods becomes available again.

For future protection on any new or recovered account:

• Configure multiple security methods (Authenticator on more than one device, SMS, and email).
• Store backup methods and recovery info in Advanced security options so that loss of one device does not lock the account.

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References:

• Troubleshoot Microsoft verification code issues
• How to go passwordless with your Microsoft account
• Help with the Microsoft account recovery form