Request for MFA Reset/Transfer to New Mobile Device

Question

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Hello,

I am writing to request assistance with my account authentication.

I recently switched to a new mobile phone and am trying to log in. However, the Microsoft Authenticator app continues to send approval notifications to my old device, which I can no longer access.

Although I have the correct IDs and passwords, I am stuck in a loop because both the website login and the Authenticator app setup require a code or approval from the app itself.

I currently manage the following three accounts and need the MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) settings reset or updated for all of them:

ID 1: [Moderator note: Personal information removed]@********.onmicrosoft.com

ID 2: [Moderator note: Personal information removed]@********.onmicrosoft.com

ID 3: [Moderator note: Personal information removed]@********.onmicrosoft.com

Could you please guide me on how to verify my identity and register my new device for these accounts?

Thank you for your assistance.

Best regards,

Answer 1

Hello @Jonghyun Kang(강종현),

I'm sorry to hear about this issue, and I completely understand how confusing this can be.

May I ask if you have any alternative method to sign-in beside Authenticator (SMS, email,...)? If yes, please try sign-in using this alternative method. 

If you don't have any alternative sign-in method, could you please confirm that you are the end-user or the IT admin of your organization? 

If you are the end-user, I would recommend you contact your organization account's Admin to reset your MFA settings through the Microsoft Entra Admin Center. If you haven’t yet reached out, here’s a helpful guide to locate your Microsoft 365 administrator: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support  

Ask your administrator to follow these steps:    

• Go to Microsoft Entra Admin Center: https://entra.microsoft.com  
• Navigate to Users > All Users.  
• Select your user account.  
• Go to Authentication Methods.  
• Click "Require re-register multifactor authentication".  

This will reset your MFA settings. The next time you sign in, you’ll be prompted to set up the Authenticator app again using a QR code.  

If you're an IT admin, please check to see if there are other IT admins in your organization who can help you with the reset. 

If you are the only administrator for each tenant, this request cannot be handled through the Microsoft Q&A forum due to security and privacy limitations. In this case, you will need to contact the Microsoft Data Protection team, as they are the only group authorized and equipped with the necessary tools and verification procedures to confirm your identity and restore administrator access. 

Please try to find the related hotline number to call the frontline and let them raise a ticket for you: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support 

Carefully follow this instruction to ask for Microsoft Data Protection team support :   

Depending on your country or region. For some countries, when calling the support number, although there are about 30 seconds opening as something "you can visit the link...." But you can ignore this opening and wait until the option, then "1" as a business email user, "1" again for technical help.   

For some countries, it will be an automated conversation like:    

• First, when you call the hotline, it asks what kind of problem you are worried about.   
• Answered: authenticator.   
• A: What kind of product are you using?   
• B: Microsoft 365 for business.   
• A confirmation: education or company account?   
• B: For companies   
• A: Are you an administrator?   
• B: Yes.   
• A: Do you have the other admin in your organization?   
• B: No.   
• A: You need one.... Service request?   
• B: Yes   

If your organization's 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.   

Please understand that forum moderators have no control over user accounts, especially when it comes to logging in to your account, resetting your password, changing your access, etc.   

If you encounter any difficulties in contacting the frontline support, please feel free to let me know. Thank you and I wish you a great day!  

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Answer 2

Hello Support Team,

I am writing to request assistance with resetting or transferring my Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) settings to a new mobile device.

I recently switched to a new phone and can no longer access the Microsoft Authenticator app on my old device. As a result, all MFA approval notifications are still being sent to the old device, which I cannot use anymore.

Although I am entering the correct IDs and passwords, I am stuck in a loop because both the website sign-in and the Authenticator app setup require a verification code or approval from the existing Authenticator registration.

I currently manage the following three accounts and need the MFA settings reset or updated for each of them:

• ID 1: @**.onmicrosoft.com
• ID 2: @**.onmicrosoft.com
• ID 3: @**.onmicrosoft.com

Could you please:

1. Guide me through the identity verification process, and
2. Reset my MFA methods or enable re-registration, so I can register my new mobile device with Microsoft Authenticator for these accounts?

Thank you in advance for your support.

Best regards,

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References:

• Use a screen reader to set up and troubleshoot multifactor authentication
• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
• Microsoft Invest - Troubleshoot Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
• Microsoft Curate - Troubleshoot Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
• I need to reset my mfa methods - Microsoft Q&A
• Requesting a Tenant Admin MFA Reset - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft authenticator sending me into a spiral - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft Authenticator app doesn't show 6-digit OTP code - Microsoft Q&A
• Severity A Situation - Locked out of global admin account (MFA) - business down - Microsoft Q&A