Authenticator App not getting code

Question

I have one authenticator app, and I get codes for both personal emails but I can't get one for my work email. It's really causing issues. My personal emails, [Moderator note: personal info removed] @summitrhineinc.com and [Moderator note: personal info removed] @gmail both work, however, [Moderator note: personal info removed] @truengroup.com isn't working through outlook to get a code. It says sign in by other ways, but neither way works. Help!

Answer 1

Hello @Stephanie Reineck,

Thank you for reaching out and for describing the issue in detail.

I’d like to first confirm one important point so we can guide you in the most effective direction. Could you please let me know whether your work account (the one that is not receiving the code) is provided and managed by your company or organization?

If this is a company‑ or organization‑managed account, the quickest and most effective solution is to contact your organization’s IT administrator. As an end user, you won’t be able to reset or reconfigure Multi‑Factor Authentication (MFA) on your own for a work account. Your IT admin has the necessary permissions to resolve this by resetting your MFA configuration and allowing you to re‑register the Microsoft Authenticator app. hey can reset your MFA configuration by:  

• Signing in to the Microsoft Entra Admin Center  
• Navigating to Users > Your Account > Authentication methods  
• Selecting Require re‑register MFA  

You may share this official Microsoft documentation with your IT team for step‑by‑step guidance: Manage authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication - Microsoft Entra ID |…    

If, on the other hand, you are the IT administrator of the tenant yourself and are still experiencing issues with MFA, please let me know. Once you confirm that, I can share the appropriate admin‑level troubleshooting steps and guidance specific to tenant administrators.

I’ll be happy to continue assisting once we confirm whether this is an end‑user scenario or an admin‑managed account scenario.

 

Kind regards,

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Answer 2

For the work account that is not getting a code, focus on two areas: verification-code delivery issues and MFA reset by an admin.

1. Check why the verification code is not arriving
   • Avoid repeatedly requesting new codes. Excessive or repetitive requests to the same phone/email can cause Microsoft to temporarily block sending verification codes due to unusual activity.
   • If using SMS for that work account:
     • Confirm the phone is not blocking texts from unknown numbers. If it is, change the phone settings, then choose “I don’t have a code” on the sign-in screen to trigger a new code.
     • Make sure the SMS inbox is not full and the messaging app is working properly.
     • Ensure the phone number on file for that work account is a mobile number, not a VOIP number.
   • If using email for that work account:
     • Check the junk/spam folder for a message from @accountprotection.microsoft.com.
     • Mark @accountprotection.microsoft.com as a trusted sender.
   • Verify that the security info (phone/email) for the work account is correct:
     • Sign in to the Security info page for the work/school account and select Update info.
     • Choose a method that is known to work, or select I don’t have any of these to replace the security info.
   • If the account or region has been flagged for unusual or compromised traffic, code delivery may be delayed or temporarily blocked. In that case, waiting and trying again later may be required.
2. Try an alternative sign-in method
   • If Outlook mobile is configured for that work account, use it as an MFA method:
     • On the sign-in page, select Use a code (if available).
     • In Outlook mobile: tap the Home icon → Settings (gear) → Accounts → select the work account → Sign-in requests and use the TOTP code shown there.
   • For work/school accounts, Outlook mobile can authenticate either by notification or by a time-based one-time passcode (TOTP). Use whichever is configured for that account.
3. If no method works, request an MFA reset from the organization
   • For a work account where neither Authenticator nor alternate methods work, an admin must reset the MFA settings.
   • Contact the organization’s IT/Help desk or Microsoft 365/Entra admin and ask them to:
     • Open Microsoft Entra admin center.
     • Go to Users → All users → [your work account] → Authentication methods.
     • Select Require re-register multifactor authentication so the MFA methods can be set up again on the phone.
   • If the work account is the only admin account in the tenant and no one else can reset MFA, the tenant owner must contact Microsoft support by phone and request the Data Protection team to reset MFA for that admin account.
4. If the device was changed or reset
   • If the work account was originally configured on a different phone and that device is no longer available, the existing Authenticator registration must be cleared by an admin or via Microsoft’s Data Protection process as above. After that, the next sign-in will prompt to register Authenticator again.

If the work account continues not to receive any verification codes and no admin-side reset is done, sign-in will remain blocked for that account.

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References:

• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
• Troubleshoot Microsoft verification code issues
• Using Outlook mobile to sign in
• I need to reset my mfa methods - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft authenticator sending me into a spiral - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft Authenticator app doesn't show 6-digit OTP code - Microsoft Q&A