Deleted microsoft authenticator app

Question

In getting a new phone (erasing old data and transferring new), my microsoft authenticator is no longer logged into my microsoft uni account so i can no longer accept the 2 digit code and get access to anything linked to that account. Can i restore the account with microsoft? How can i access a backup? do i need to contact the university with whom the account is linked to?

Answer 1

Hello @Archie Wynn,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A Forum.  

Since your account is managed by your school, Microsoft cannot directly reset or revoke your multi-factor authentication settings. This action must be performed by your school’s IT administrator. Please reach out to your IT admin and request that they revoke and require re-registration of your Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) settings. They can do this by following these steps:  

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

Once this is completed, you will be prompted to set up MFA again during your next login, allowing you to configure Microsoft Authenticator on your new device 

If you are unsure who your IT administrator is, you can refer to this official Microsoft guide for assistance: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support  

Please contact your school’s IT team as soon as possible, as they are the only ones who can perform this reset. Once they have completed the process, try signing in again and let us know if you need further guidance.  

Best regards,  

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Answer 2

For a university (work or school) Microsoft account, restoring access depends on whether there is a working backup of Microsoft Authenticator and whether there are alternative sign-in methods.

1. If the old phone is still available and you used iOS backup

• Authenticator backups on iOS require:
  • iCloud Drive enabled
  • iCloud Keychain enabled
  • iCloud Backup enabled
  • Authenticator listed and toggled on under Saved to iCloud
  • Authenticator version 6.8.33 or later, opened at least once before switching phones
• On the new iOS device:
  • Uninstall and reinstall Microsoft Authenticator.
  • Open it and sign in with the same Apple ID/iCloud account; the backup should appear and can be restored.

2. What is actually backed up for a university (work or school) account

• For work or school accounts, only the account name is backed up.
• After restore, sign-in to the university account is still required to fully re-enable MFA on the new device.

3. If Authenticator cannot be restored and sign-in is blocked by MFA

• For business/education tenants where the user cannot pass MFA and has no alternative method, the only supported path is to have an administrator reset MFA.
• For a university account, this means contacting the university’s IT/helpdesk and asking them to:
  • Reset MFA / clear existing Authenticator registration for the account.
  • Enable re-registration so Authenticator can be set up again on the new phone.

4. When Microsoft/Data Protection team is involved

• If the account is an organizational (work/school) account and the user is the only administrator for that tenant, Microsoft’s Data Protection team can verify identity and reset MFA from their side, but this is for tenant admins, not typical university students.
• In a university scenario, the tenant admins are normally the university IT department, so the correct step is to contact them, not Microsoft directly.

So:

• If an iOS backup was correctly configured, reinstall Authenticator on the new iOS device and restore from iCloud.
• If that does not work or if sign-in is still blocked by MFA, contact the university’s IT support and request an MFA reset for the university Microsoft account.

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References:

• Back up your accounts in Microsoft Authenticator
• Microsoft Authenticator FAQs
• Microsoft Authenticator app doesn't show 6-digit OTP code - 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
• Microsoft authenticator sending me into a spiral - Microsoft Q&A
• Requesting a Tenant Admin MFA Reset - Microsoft Q&A
• How Do I Regain Access to My Account After Losing Access to Microsoft Authenticator? (Urgent Request). - Microsoft Q&A