A Microsoft app for iOS and Android devices that enables authentication with two-factor verification, phone sign-in, and code generation
To reset Microsoft Authenticator and get back into Azure, the exact steps depend on whether this is a work/school (organization) account and whether there is another admin who can help.
- First, check for any alternative sign-in method
- When prompted for MFA, look for an option like “Sign in another way” or “Use a different verification option.”
- If that appears, choose another method (office phone, SMS, etc.) and complete sign-in.
- If no alternative method is configured, this option will not appear and an admin reset is required.
- If this is a work/school account and there is another admin Ask a Global Administrator in the tenant to reset MFA for the account via Microsoft Entra:
- Admin signs in to the Microsoft Entra admin center (
entra.microsoft.com). - Go to Identity → Users → All users.
- Select the affected user account.
- Open Authentication methods.
- Click Require re-register multifactor authentication.
- Sign out and sign in again; Azure will prompt to set up Microsoft Authenticator from scratch (scan QR code, approve, etc.).
This clears the old Authenticator registration and forces a fresh setup, which resolves loops where the app thinks the user is already signed in or codes are tied to an old device.
- If this is a business/education tenant and there is no other admin If the locked-out user is the only Global Administrator and cannot access the portal at all:
- Contact Microsoft via the regional Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support and request escalation to the Data Protection team or Tenant Recovery to reset MFA for the admin account.
- Clearly state that this is a company/education (work) account, that MFA is enforced, and that there is no other global admin available to perform the reset.
- If this is a personal Microsoft account used as a guest in an Azure tenant If the account is a personal Microsoft account that was added as a guest to an Azure AD tenant, MFA for that guest account can still be reset by a Global Admin in that tenant using the same Require re-register multifactor authentication steps above.
- After MFA is reset Once an admin or Microsoft Support has reset MFA:
- Sign in to Azure with username and password.
- When prompted to configure MFA, choose Microsoft Authenticator.
- Install/open the app on the phone.
- Add a Work or school account and scan the QR code shown in the browser.
- Approve the test notification or enter the code as requested.
After this, the new Authenticator registration will be active and the previous broken state is removed.
References:
- Microsoft authenticator sending me into a spiral - Microsoft Q&A
- Reset Personal Azure MFA - Microsoft Q&A
- Microsoft Authenticator app doesn't show 6-digit OTP code - Microsoft Q&A
- Requesting a Tenant Admin MFA Reset - Microsoft Q&A
- Global Admin Locked out - Microsoft Q&A
- Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
- Use a screen reader to set up and troubleshoot multifactor authentication
- Microsoft Authenticator FAQs
- Restore account credentials from Microsoft Authenticator