Log in issues

Question

I cannot log into my school account because Authenticator isn’t working how do I fix it? I tried deleting everything and redownloading it all I made sure the log in info was correct as well

Answer 1

Dear @Kowalski, Joy,

Based on your description, I understand that you cannot log in to your Microsoft 365 educational account due to the authenticator. In this case, to access to your school account again, here are some steps I recommend you try: 

Step 1: When signing in, please try to look for options like "Other ways to sign in"

Step 2: Contact your school IT staff directly to revoke MFA sessions and require re-registration in Microsoft Entra admin center 

If the issue still persists, since you are using an education account, and your school has an MFA setting for your account, I highly recommend you contact your school IT staff directly so that they may reset your MFA settings to your mobile. You might also ask whether your MFA can be temporarily disabled to allow an emergency sign-in.   

For more information and instruction, please ask the school IT Admin to follow the Microsoft Official Guide here: Manage authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication - Microsoft Entra ID | Microsoft Learn 

Note: Please understand that as forum moderator, I don’t have access to the backend systems to troubleshoot this effectively due to privacy and security constraints. I am just organizing use cases and collecting data, including from you, on a daily basis and will continue to monitor the progress of this issue.

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this.

Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. I'm looking forward for your reply.

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Answer 2

Follow these steps depending on whether there is another way to sign in and whether an admin can help:

1. Try another MFA method if available

• On the sign-in screen, after entering username and password, look for options like:
  • “Use a different verification option”
  • SMS/text code
  • Phone call
  • Backup email or security questions
• If one of these works, sign in and then update Microsoft Authenticator from the My Account / Security info page.

2. Fix common Authenticator issues on the phone If the sign-in prompt says “Authentication did not complete” or similar:

• Make sure Microsoft Authenticator is unlocked on the device.
• Turn on notifications for Authenticator in the phone’s settings and ensure the phone has internet access (try switching between Wi‑Fi and mobile data).
• Confirm the app is up to date using the app store.
• Check the device date and time are set correctly.
• If prompted for a code, open Authenticator, tap the school/work account, and use the one-time password code shown there (if present).

3. If still locked out of a school account Because this is a school (work or school) account, only the organization’s IT admin can reset the MFA settings if no verification method works.

Ask the school’s IT/help desk or Microsoft 365/Entra admin to:

• Go to the Microsoft Entra admin center (https://entra.microsoft.com).
• Navigate to Identity → Users → All users.
• Select the user account.
• Open Authentication methods.
• Click Require re-register multifactor authentication.

After this, the next sign-in will prompt to set up Authenticator again from scratch.

4. If repeated attempts are blocked If there have been many failed sign-in attempts, Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication may temporarily block more attempts. In that case:

• Wait before trying again, or
• Use a different MFA method if one is configured.

If there is still no way to sign in after these steps, contact the school’s help desk/IT administrator and ask them to check Microsoft Entra sign-in logs and reset MFA or provide a temporary access method.

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References:

• Troubleshoot problems with Microsoft Authenticator
• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
• Work or school account help
• Reset Personal Azure MFA - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft authenticator sending me into a spiral - Microsoft Q&A