I accidentally removed my authenticator app

Question

I accidentally removed my authenticator app and I can't access to open my account because of it

Answer 1

Follow these steps depending on what is blocking access.

1. Try other verification methods

• If the account has additional methods (SMS, email codes, other apps, security keys), choose one of those on the sign-in screen.
• If Two Step Verification is enabled, two recovery methods may be required to sign in.

2. If the account is passwordless with Microsoft Authenticator

• Go to the Microsoft account dashboard, then Security > Advanced security options when able to sign in with another method.
• Under Ways to prove who you are, find the Send sign-in notification entry for the old device and select Remove so that lost/removed Authenticator methods are no longer required.
• If needed, turn off passwordless under Passwordless account and add a password back, then reconfigure Authenticator on the new device.

3. If Authenticator backup/restore is available (personal Microsoft account)

• On the old device (if still available), enable iCloud/backup as described in the FAQ and ensure Authenticator backup is turned on and updated.
• On the new device, install Microsoft Authenticator, sign in with the same backup account, and restore the accounts.

4. If unable to restore Authenticator credentials

• If the backup account for Authenticator cannot be accessed, support agents cannot restore Authenticator account credentials.
• In that case, accounts must be added again manually once access is regained. Follow the documented steps to add accounts to Microsoft Authenticator.

5. If completely locked out and no other methods work

• For personal Microsoft accounts, use the Microsoft account recovery options: reset the password, use the Sign-in Helper tool, or the account recovery form as documented.
• For work or school accounts where Authenticator is the only method and access is lost, contact the organization’s help desk or IT admin to clear MFA settings so that sign-in and re-registration can be completed.
• If the user is the only admin on a business tenant and cannot access the admin portal, contact Microsoft Support by phone and request escalation to the Data Protection team to reset the admin’s authentication methods, as described in the referenced Q&A guidance.

After access is restored, configure at least one additional sign-in method (such as SMS, email, or another device) to avoid being locked out if Authenticator is removed again.

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References:

• Restore account credentials from Microsoft Authenticator
• How to go passwordless with your Microsoft account
• I can't sign in to my Microsoft account
• Troubleshoot problems with Microsoft Authenticator
• Microsoft Authenticator FAQs
• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
• How Do I Regain Access to My Account After Losing Access to Microsoft Authenticator? (Urgent Request). - Microsoft Q&A
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• Requesting a Tenant Admin MFA Reset - Microsoft Q&A