Cannot use authenticator

Question

Hello,

I have recently changes phone and have since had a lot of trouble logging into my Microsoft accounts due to my authenticator app not carrying over my accounts from the old device.

While I can still access the app on my old device, it won't send me any codes as usual.

How can i troubleshoot this issue? Due to changing phone numbers, i am also unable to receive a code via text. Nor can I update my details without the authenticator.

This is very stressful as it has interfered with both personal and work matters.

Any help would be very much appreciated!

Answer 1

Dear @Akosua A,

I completely understand how stressful this situation is, especially when it disrupts both your personal life and your work. Getting locked out due to a phone and number change is a challenging roadblock, but I am here to help you navigate through it.

Because Microsoft treats personal accounts and work/school accounts with entirely different security infrastructures, the recovery steps are completely different for each. To help me give you the exact solution, could you please clarify which type of account you are locked out of?

• A Personal Account (e.g., ending in @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, or @live.com)
• A Work or School Account (provided by your company, employer, or educational institution)

While you verify your account type, here are the immediate actions and explanations depending on your setup:

If it is a Work or School Account:

• For User (Not an Administrator)

For organization accounts, security is managed internally by your employer or school. The app on your old phone stopped working because notifications are bound to the hardware registration of the specific device, which broke when you switched.

The Solution: You will need to contact your organization's IT Helpdesk or Microsoft 365 Global Administrator. They can instantly clear your old Authenticator registration and reset your Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) status. This will allow you to scan a fresh QR code on your new phone and register your new phone number.

According to Manage authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication - Microsoft Entra ID individual users cannot bypass this security layer on their own if they lose both the authenticator and the phone number. Your local IT admin has the exclusive authority to reset this for you.

• For IT Administrator:

If you are an administrator but cannot access your account, please contact the data protection team to recover your account. Find the appropriate phone number for your region here: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support 

If it is a Personal Microsoft Account: Recovery Path

If you are locked out of a personal account and do not have a backup of your Authenticator cloud credentials, standard login will block you due to the missing phone number.

Check for Cloud Backup: On your new phone, open the Authenticator app. Before signing in, look at the bottom of the screen and select Begin recovery or restore from backup. If you previously turned on cloud backup on your old phone, you could restore your accounts using your personal Microsoft account credentials.

The Account Recovery Form: If cloud backup wasn’t enabled, go to the login page, enter your password, and when prompted for the authenticator code, select "I don't have access to my Microsoft Authenticator app" or "Sign in another way". Follow the prompts to use an alternative email address if you registered one. If all else fails, you must submit the official Help with the Microsoft account recovery form | Microsoft Support to verify your identity manually.

Please let me know if this is a personal or work account, and we can take the next precise step to get you back into your files!