Account access issues

Question

Hello,

I’m having an issue accessing my account. My old phone, where Microsoft Authenticator was installed, is broken. I installed the Authenticator app on my new phone, but I am not receiving any sign‑in approval requests there.

To log in to the platform, the system asks for a code or approval from the Authenticator app. However, to receive this code, I need to log in first — and without the code, I cannot log in. This creates a loop, and I currently cannot access my account at all.

I have attached screenshots showing what happens during the login attempt.

Please help me reset the two‑factor authentication or provide an alternative way to regain access to my account.

Thank you

Answer 1

Hello, I’m Virginia a fellow Windows user.

Is there any device on which you’re still signed in? Perhaps you can use this to change or add the authentication method. If not then your only option is to use the recovery code shown during 2fa setup. Microsoft have no access to 2fa so cannot reset it.

This is why when I advocate setting up 2fa I always say to have a backup method, either a recovery email (non Microsoft), a 2nd device on which you can install the Authenticator app (iPhone, iPad etc) &/or save the recovery codes.

Answer 2

Because the old phone with Microsoft Authenticator is broken and there is no working alternative second factor, the account is effectively locked behind MFA and cannot be recovered self‑service.

Use the following options based on the type of account:

1. If this is a work or school (Microsoft 365 business/education) account and there is another admin
   1. Contact the organization’s Microsoft 365/Entra administrator.
   2. The admin signs in to the Microsoft Entra admin center and resets the user’s MFA so that the next sign‑in forces re‑registration of Microsoft Authenticator on the new phone, as described in the moderator guidance in similar cases.
2. If this is a work or school account and this user is the only global admin
   1. A Microsoft Data Protection team intervention is required; forum moderators and normal support agents cannot change MFA or bypass verification.
   2. Call Microsoft using the country‑specific number listed under Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support and clearly state:
      • The issue is with Authenticator.
      • The product is Office 365 for business.
      • It is a company account.
      • The caller is the only administrator and is locked out due to MFA.
   3. Ask the agent to open a service request and route it to the Data Protection team to reset the admin’s authentication methods so access can be restored.
   4. If direct phone routing is difficult, create a temporary trial Microsoft 365 tenant, go to the admin center of that trial tenant, and open a support ticket from there explicitly about being locked out of the original tenant’s global admin account; support will then involve the Data Protection team for the original tenant.
3. If this is a personal Microsoft account
   1. Use the self‑service sign‑in helper at the Sign-in helper link in the verification‑code troubleshooting article.
   2. If verification codes are not received on any configured method, choose another available method (alternate email, SMS, etc.) as suggested in the verification‑code troubleshooting guidance.
   3. If none of the methods work, contact Microsoft Support via Contact Microsoft Support from that same article and follow the guided flow. Support agents still cannot send codes or directly change account details, but the guided flows are the only supported recovery path.

In all cases, support agents and forum moderators cannot directly send verification codes, reset passwords, or change MFA methods without going through the official identity‑verification and Data Protection processes. Until MFA is reset by an admin or by the Data Protection team (for work/school) or recovered via the official flows (for personal accounts), access to the account cannot be restored.

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References:

• Troubleshoot problems with Microsoft Authenticator
• Troubleshoot Microsoft verification code issues
• Microsoft Authenticator FAQs
• Use a screen reader to set up and troubleshoot multifactor authentication
• 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
• Requesting a Tenant Admin MFA Reset - Microsoft Q&A
• Severity A Situation - Locked out of global admin account (MFA) - business down - Microsoft Q&A