Authenticator app not working

Question

I can't sign into my Microsoft authenticator app for my school and every time I call I can't get through to actually talk to someone and if I can't get this done I won't be able to do my school work

Answer 1

Hello,

Microsoft does not directly manage organization users. Instead, each organization's IT administrator is responsible for managing its users according to its internal protocols.

You should contact your organization's IT support team. They need to reset your MFA for you in order for this to work. Once the reset is completed, follow these steps:

1. Open your web browser and navigate to https://login.microsoftonline.com.
2. Sign in to your account.
3. You will be prompted to set up MFA again.

If your organization's IT administrator requires guidance, they can follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Microsoft Admin Center at https://admin.microsoft.com using their credentials.
2. Navigate to Users > Active Users in the left-hand menu.
3. Select the relevant user.
4. On the user card that appears on the right, scroll to the bottom and click Manage multifactor authentication.
5. On the MFA settings page, locate the user's name, select it, and click Manage user settings on the right.
6. In the pop-up box, check the first box and click Save.

This process will reset MFA for the user, allowing them to set it up again.

Answer 2

For a school (work or school) account that uses Microsoft Authenticator and is no longer working, the next steps depend on whether there is another way to sign in and whether an admin can help.

1. Try another verification method

• On the sign-in screen, when prompted for Microsoft Authenticator, look for options like “Use a different verification option” (for example, SMS, phone call, or another registered method) and use that to sign in.
• If repeated attempts have been made and sign-in is blocked, wait and try again later or use a different MFA method as above. Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication can temporarily block sign-in after many failed attempts.

2. Basic Authenticator troubleshooting If the app opens but sign-in or approvals fail:

• Ensure push notifications are enabled for Microsoft Authenticator and that the device has network connectivity.
• Make sure the app is up to date from the app store.
• Confirm the device’s date and time are correct.
• If seeing “Authentication did not complete,” check that the app is unlocked and notifications are not silenced.

3. If the phone or app was reset or replaced If the Authenticator app was removed, reset, or moved to a new phone and no other MFA method works, the MFA methods must be reset by an administrator:

• Contact the school’s IT/help desk or Microsoft 365/Entra ID administrator and request an MFA reset / Require re-register multifactor authentication for the school account.
• The admin can do this in Microsoft Entra Admin Center by going to the user account and selecting Require re-register multifactor authentication, which will force a fresh setup of Authenticator at next sign-in.

4. If locked out and there is no alternative method

• If there is no alternative sign-in method and only one admin exists for the tenant, the admin must work with Microsoft’s Data Protection team via Microsoft Support phone numbers to regain access and reset MFA. This is handled by Microsoft support, not by forum moderators or self-service tools.

Until an admin resets MFA or an alternate method is available, access to school resources that require this account will remain blocked, so contacting the school’s IT/administrator is essential.

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References:

• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
• Troubleshoot problems with Microsoft Authenticator
• I need to reset my mfa methods - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft authenticator sending me into a spiral - Microsoft Q&A