Authentication App

Question

Hello, I recently started my internship at a counseling practice, and they have created an Outlook email account for me under their business name. I already have an Outlook account for school. Last week, I was able to get into my new work email account but now it's showing a code of two numbers that it says to enter in the Authenticator app, however, when I open the app, I'm not able to sign in because the app is also showing me a two number code to enter, so basically I'm stuck in a loop of the authenticator with no codes being received so I'm unable to verify security and get into my work email address.

Any help is appreciated.

Answer 1

I’ve had this issue before as well

With my company due to having two different work emails. Unfortunately I had to remove the app and redownload it to connect my work accounts again in order for it to authenticate my login successfully.

Answer 2

Since you didn't specify your account type, I will provide solution based on the tag of the initial post. If you're using a personal account (@hotmai, gmail, outlook.com...) instead of a business account (@onmicrosoft.com, @yourdomain.com....), please let me know so that I can provide guidance with more accuracy.

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Good day Davia Zargari and I’m sorry to hear about the difficulties you’re experiencing. 

As a first step, please try uninstalling and reinstalling the application. This will prompt you to re-authenticate your account and ensure that your new work account is properly signed in.

If you are no longer receiving verification codes or push notifications from Microsoft Authenticator app, the most appropriate next step in most cases is to contact your organization’s Microsoft 365 IT administrator. 

Please ask your administrator to follow the steps outlined in the guide below to revoke existing MFA sessions and require re registration. 

For reference: Manage authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication - Microsoft Entra ID |… 

This process usually only takes a couple of minutes. 

Once this process is completed, all existing sign in sessions will be cleared. The next time you sign in, you will be prompted to set up Microsoft Authenticator again from the beginning, and verification codes should be delivered normally. If appropriate, you may also wish to ask your administrator to add an additional authentication method, such as SMS or email, to help ensure continued access in the future. 

If you’re unsure who your Microsoft 365 administrator is, the following article can help you identify the correct contact at your workplace: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support 

Please note that this is a user to user support forum, and I do not have access to administrative tools or permissions to reset or modify MFA settings on your account. Because your account is managed by your organization, only an authorized Microsoft 365 administrator at your institution can make these changes. 

However, if you are the sole administrator for your organization, please let me know so I can guide you through a more direct process to regain access to your account.

I hope this information helps point you in the right direction and allows you to regain access to your account as quickly as possible. 

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Answer 3

The sign-in loop happens when multifactor authentication (MFA) is misconfigured or the wrong account is being used in Microsoft Authenticator. Because this is a work account created by the counseling practice, the fix must involve the organization’s IT/admin rather than changing settings on a personal account.

Use these steps:

1. Stop trying the same looped method
   • On the sign-in screen for the work mailbox, when prompted for the two-digit code, look for a link such as Sign in another way or Use a different verification option.
   • If that link is not present or does not work, proceed to step 2.
2. Try an alternate MFA method if one exists
   • If another method (SMS, phone call, backup email, or security key) was set up for this work account, select it and complete sign-in that way.
   • If no alternate method is configured or it still loops, go to step 3.
3. Contact the organization’s IT admin or Help desk
   • Because this is a work/school account, only the tenant administrator can reliably fix a broken MFA registration.
   • Ask the admin to:
     1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center.
     2. Go to Identity → Users → All users and select the work account.
     3. Open Authentication methods for that user.
     4. Use Require re-register MFA to clear the current MFA registration so it can be set up again.
   • After this, sign in again to the work mailbox; the system will prompt to register Microsoft Authenticator or another MFA method from scratch.
4. If the device or app was changed recently
   • If the phone or Authenticator app was reinstalled after the original setup, the old registration may no longer match the app instance. The admin-side Require re-register MFA step above is still the correct fix.
5. If sign-in attempts are blocked after many tries
   • If multiple failed attempts have been made, Microsoft Entra MFA may temporarily block sign-in as suspicious activity.
   • In that case, wait before trying again and have the admin check Microsoft Entra sign-in logs for this account to confirm and clear any issues.

Until the admin resets MFA for the work account, the loop between the sign-in page and the Authenticator app will persist, because the app cannot complete verification without a valid registration tied to that tenant account.

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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
• Reset Personal Azure MFA - Microsoft Q&A