Microsoft Authenticator app

Question

I have been logged out of my authenticator app and i have administrator role on the account, i am now unable to login to any of my microsoft accounts including the authenticator app because the below message displays whenever i attempt to login:

Enter code

Enter the code displayed in the Microsoft Authenticator app on your mobile device​.

Anyone with a solution for me kindly please assist!

Thanks

Answer 1

Hi @Lagab Financial Services,

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I hope this response reaches you in time and helps bring some clarity. 

From what you've shared, it appears that you may be encountering a multi-factor authentication (MFA) loop. In this situation, because your Microsoft account requires verification through the Authenticator app, and access to that app is currently unavailable, you are unable to receive the required code, which can prevent the sign-in process from completing. To resolve this, the MFA registration for your affected account needs to be reset so that authentication methods can be set up again.

However, as part of the community support team, my access is limited and I cannot make changes to administrator-level settings. For security reasons, the options to recover access may vary depending on whether another administrator is available in your organization.

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Option 1: Contact other IT admins

Please check if there are other IT admins who still have access and share with them the steps outlined in the article Manage user authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication. This will help them assist you in resetting your MFA settings and restoring access to the account.

Once your admin completes this process, your previous sign-in sessions will be cleared, and the next time you log in, you will be prompted to set up MFA again from scratch.

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Option 2: Contact Microsoft Data Protection Support by phone

If you are the only admin, you can try reaching out to the Global Customer Service phone to raise a request for resetting your authentication method here: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support.

During the phone call, you will need to provide the information associated with your subscription, such as your company name, billing details, phone number, and an alternate email address, etc. This information allows the Data Protection team to verify your identity and securely assist you in regaining access to your administrator account.

In some regions, the initial interaction may be automated, so here’s a general idea of how the conversation might go to help you prepare:

(When you call the support number, you may hear an introduction of about 30 seconds such as "you can visit the link...". You can ignore this introduction and wait until you are presented with the options. Then press "1" as a business email user, and again "1" for technical help.)

In some countries, it is an automated conversation like:

IVR: What kind of problem are you concerned about?

You: Authenticator.

IVR: What kind of product do you use?

You: Office 365 for business.

IVR confirmation: education or company account?

You: For companies

IVR: Are you an administrator?

You: Yes.

IVR: Do you have another administrator in your organization?

You: No.

IVR: Do you need a... Service request?

You: Yes. I need to create a ticket. Please send me directly to the Data Protection Team.

Please note that forum moderators do not have access to user account settings and cannot assist with logging in, resetting passwords, or changing access rights. While we do not have access to internal systems or administrative tools required to resolve account-specific or backend-related issues but we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities.   

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Option 3: Create a new tenant to submit a support ticket (Alternative method)

If you cannot reach a live agent, there is still a workaround, you might consider registering for a new tenant by signing up for a trial subscription via this link Microsoft 365 Business Plans and Pricing | Microsoft 365.

(please select "Try for free" under a business subscription).

This would allow you to create a new tenant following the prompts provided.

Once the new tenant is created, you can access the admin center and submit a support ticket from there, requesting to speak with the Data Protection Team on behalf of your original tenant.

Ticket Support: In the Microsoft 365 Admin Center > Help & Support.

In your ticket description, you'll need to clearly explain that you're trying to regain access to your previous Microsoft 365 tenant as a sole admin and need help from the Data Protection team.

Important notes:

• This new trial tenant will not give you access to any of the data or settings in your original locked tenant. It is solely a temporary means to contact Microsoft support.
• The resolution time might be longer as you are contacting support from a different tenant.
• Remember to cancel the trial subscription for the new tenant once your issue with the original account is resolved to avoid any unintended charges. Cancel your Microsoft business subscription in the Microsoft 365 admin center | Microsoft Learn.

I hope the information provided helps guide you in the right direction. Although I’m unable to take direct action, I sincerely hope that the steps and recommendations I’ve shared can support you through the process.

Thank you for your kindness and contributions to the forum.

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Answer 2

Because sign-in is blocked at the “Enter the code displayed in the Microsoft Authenticator app” step and the app itself is inaccessible, the issue is an MFA lockout on an admin account.

Use the following options depending on whether there is another admin in the tenant.

1. If there is another global admin

• Ask another global administrator in the tenant to reset MFA for the locked-out account:
  1. Sign in to the Azure portal and open Microsoft Entra ID.
  2. Go to Users and select the affected admin account.
  3. Open Authentication methods.
  4. Select Require re-register multifactor authentication.
• After this, sign in again. The sign-in flow will prompt to set up MFA from scratch and allow adding Microsoft Authenticator on the device again.

2. If there is no other global admin (only one admin and it is locked out) In this case, the tenant is effectively locked out and recovery must be handled by Microsoft’s Data Protection team.

Use one of these paths:

Option A – Call Microsoft support and request Data Protection / Tenant Recovery

1. Call the regional number from Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support.
2. When prompted by the IVR/agent, clearly state:
   • The problem is with Authenticator / MFA.
   • The product is Office 365 for business or Microsoft 365 for business.
   • The account is a company (work) account.
   • The caller is the only global administrator and is locked out due to Microsoft Authenticator.
   • A service request is needed with the Data Protection team (tenant admin MFA reset / tenant recovery).
3. Be prepared to provide tenant details (admin UPN, tenant domain, business information) so they can verify identity and reset MFA registration.

Option B – Create a temporary trial tenant to open a support ticket If it is not possible to reach the right support queue directly by phone:

1. Sign up for a new Microsoft 365 trial tenant (any business/enterprise trial plan).
2. After the new tenant is created, go to https://admin.microsoft.com/ for that new tenant.
3. In the left navigation, go to Support → Help & support.
4. Open a support ticket explaining:
   • This new tenant is only for contacting support.
   • The real problem is a different existing tenant where the only global admin is locked out by MFA.
   • Provide the locked tenant’s domain, admin sign-in name, and describe that Microsoft Authenticator is the only MFA method and is no longer accessible.
5. Ask explicitly for escalation to the Data Protection team to perform tenant admin MFA reset / recovery.
6. After the original tenant is recovered, cancel the trial subscription on the temporary tenant to avoid charges.

These are the supported ways to recover when an admin is locked out by Microsoft Authenticator and cannot complete MFA.

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References:

• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
• I have a Micrsoft business account and I am the admin and the only user registered under this account. I can't log in because i have replaced my phone and the authenticator doesn't work. - Microsoft Q&A
• Global Admin Locked out - 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
• Severity A Situation - Locked out of global admin account (MFA) - business down - Microsoft Q&A