Authenticator Issues

Question

I removed authenticator off of my old phone and tried to add it to my new phone, but in signing in, it asks for me to confirm in authenticator, which I now can't do. How can I get back into authenticator and my email?

Answer 1

Because the old phone was removed before moving Microsoft Authenticator, the account’s MFA methods must be reset or an alternate verification method must be used.

Use these options depending on the type of account:

1. If this is a work or school (Microsoft Entra ID) account

• Try any alternative sign-in method already configured (SMS, phone call, backup email, hardware token) on the sign-in page instead of Authenticator.
• If alternatives don’t work or don’t exist, an admin must reset MFA for the account:
  • A Global Admin can go to the Microsoft Entra admin center → Users → All users → select the user → Authentication methods → choose Require re-register multifactor authentication so the account can be set up again on the new phone.
• If locked out and this is the only admin account in the tenant, contact Microsoft via the Customer service phone numbers page and ask for the Data Protection team to help reset the admin’s MFA, as described in the Q&A guidance. If needed, a temporary trial tenant can be created just to open a support ticket to the Data Protection team on behalf of the locked tenant.

2. If this is a personal Microsoft account (Outlook.com/Hotmail, etc.)

• Use the Microsoft account sign-in helper to regain access to the backup account if the Authenticator backup cannot be restored.
• If unable to restore from backup for any other reason, add the accounts again in the new Authenticator app following the documented steps.

3. After MFA is reset or access is restored

• Sign in to the account in a browser.
• Go to the security/MFA setup page (for work/school: the Additional security verification or Security info page) and add the new phone:
  • Install Microsoft Authenticator on the new device.
  • Choose to add Microsoft Authenticator as a sign-in method and scan the QR code.
• Remove the old phone as an authentication method so future prompts go only to the new device.

If there is still access to the account on a computer browser session, use that session immediately to adjust security info and add the new phone before it times out.

---

References:

• Use a screen reader to set up and troubleshoot multifactor authentication
• Restore account credentials from Microsoft Authenticator
• Microsoft Authenticator FAQs
• Cannot authenticate with E-mail when logging into Microsoft Authenticator(iOS). - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft authenticator sending me into a spiral - Microsoft Q&A
• 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
• I need to reset my mfa methods - Microsoft Q&A
• Requesting a Tenant Admin MFA Reset - Microsoft Q&A