Aunthenticator App : cant login require old phone

Question

i just want to login my bussiness account....its require old phone which is phone i just reset....i need microsoft support to remove or unbind authenticator app from old phone.

Answer 1

Dear @NIK ANIQ,

I understand the immense frustration of being locked out of your business account due to a lost authenticator, and I apologize for the difficulties you've faced in contacting support. 

This happens because the security link for Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is tied to the Authenticator app on your old device. To fix this, you need to have your MFA settings reset. 

As a member of the community support team, I’m limited in my ability to access or make changes within your administrator account. For security and privacy reasons, only Microsoft’s dedicated support team has the necessary tools and authorization to assist with account-level issues such as resetting or troubleshooting deep within your account.  

Scenario 1: Since your email is a business account and you're an end-user of your organization (not Global Admin usually is your IT Admin), your company IT team or Helpdesk may be able to reset your Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) settings. This will allow you to reconfigure MFA from scratch on your new device.  As general Microsoft Support, we do not have administrative access to change these settings. Only your IT team has the ability to adjust or reset your MFA configuration. You can also refer to this Microsoft support article for more information:  

For step-by-step details, see the official Microsoft documentation: Manage authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multi-factor authentication - Microsoft Entra ID …     

If you’re unsure who the IT Admin is within your account's organization, you can find guidance on locating them here:  How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support   

Scenario 2: In case you are the Global Administrator and have another Global Admin in your organization. Please ask them to follow the step in the instruction above to reset your MFA. 

Scenario 3: In case you are the only Global Administrator and you are completely locked out from the tenant.  

Option 1: Contact Microsoft Support by Phone  

You might need to contact us via phone service number: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support. The agent will be able to create a ticket for you under the affected tenant and then transfer this ticket to Data Protection team who could help you to regain access.     

To help you navigate the automated phone system (IVR), here’s an example of how the conversation might go: 

• IVR: What kind of problem are you concerned about?  You: Multi-factor authentication (MFA) 
• IVR: What kind of product do you use?  You: Office 365 for business 
• IVR: Education or business account?  You: For business 
• IVR: Are you an administrator?  You: Yes 
• IVR: Do you have another administrator in your organization?  You: No 
• IVR: Do you need a service request?  You: Yes 

This should help you get connected to a live support agent who can assist you directly. 

Note: Sometimes, you would hear the computer-generated voice at first, please kindly wait for it to end, and if an agent is available, you would be directed to them and get your support. During peak hours, there might be high call volumes, so we kindly ask for your patience as we work to assist everyone as quickly as possible.

Option 2: Create a Temporary Tenant to Submit a Support Ticket  

• Visit Microsoft 365 Business Standard—Free One-Month Trial | Microsoft 365  
• Select any plan and click Try for free.  
• Complete the setup to create a new tenant.  
• Ticket support: In the Microsoft 365 admin center>support>help & support. You can create a support ticket: https://admin.microsoft.com/#/support/requests   

Important: Please remember to cancel the trial subscription once your issue is resolved to avoid any charges.  

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. 

I hope the above information is clear. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Please let me know how it goes after trying the steps above. I’m here to help further if needed. 

Answer 2

Because the old phone was reset and the Microsoft Authenticator app is the only working MFA method, access cannot be restored by self-service; Microsoft support must reset the MFA configuration for the business account.

For a business (work) account where the account is the only admin, the required path is to work with the Microsoft Data Protection team through a support ticket raised via phone or (if needed) a temporary trial tenant:

1. Call Microsoft global customer service and have a frontline agent create a support ticket for the tenant.
   • Use the "Customer service phone numbers" page to find the correct number for the region.
   • When the IVR (automated system) asks questions, answer along these lines so the call is routed correctly:
     • Problem type: say "Authenticator" or "lost account".
     • Product: "Office 365 for business".
     • Education or company account: "For companies".
     • Are you an administrator?: "Yes".
     • Any other administrators?: "No".
     • Do you need a service request?: "Yes".
   • Clearly state to the agent that this is a tenant admin MFA lockout and that the Microsoft Authenticator app is tied to a phone that was reset, and request escalation to the Data Protection team to remove or reset the MFA methods.
2. If it is not possible to reach an agent or open a ticket from this tenant, create a temporary trial tenant and open a ticket from there:
   • Sign up for a Microsoft 365 trial tenant using one of the business/enterprise trial plans (for example, from the Microsoft 365 Business or Enterprise plans page in the context).
   • After the trial tenant is created, go to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center for that new tenant.
   • In the Admin Center, open Help & support and create a support request.
   • In the ticket, clearly explain that:
     • There is a different existing Microsoft 365 business tenant where the account is the only global admin.
     • The admin is locked out because MFA requires Microsoft Authenticator on a phone that was reset.
     • A reset of the MFA methods for that admin account is needed.
     • Provide the locked tenant’s domain and the admin sign-in address, plus any error messages seen.
   • Ask the support engineer to involve the Data Protection team to verify identity and reset the admin’s MFA.
   • After access to the original tenant is restored, cancel the trial subscription in the trial tenant to avoid charges.

Only Microsoft support (specifically the Data Protection team) can unbind/remove the existing Authenticator requirement when there is no other admin and no working second factor.

---

References:

• I have a new mobile phone and I want to add it to MFA
• Microsoft Authenticator FAQs
• I cant log in to my business account because it is requiring Authenticator app which I do not have - 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
• Severity A Situation - Locked out of global admin account (MFA) - business down - Microsoft Q&A
• Requesting a Tenant Admin MFA Reset - Microsoft Q&A