Authenticator requests

Question

I get Authenticator notifications that there is a sign in request. The sign in request was not made by me. How do I find out who’s trying to get on my account?

Answer 1

Unrequested Microsoft Authenticator notifications mean a sign-in attempt is being made with the account, but they do not reveal who is trying to sign in.

Based on the documented behavior, the most that can be determined is:

1. Why these prompts appear
   • Someone is trying to access the account.
   • Someone accidentally entered the phone number or email when trying to sign in.
   • A prompt that was legitimately requested earlier is being delivered late.
   In all of these cases, the identity of the person or system making the attempt is not exposed in the Authenticator notification itself.
2. How to respond to these prompts
   • Select Deny on any sign-in request that was not initiated.
   • This keeps the account safe because sign-in cannot complete without explicit approval.
3. What to do next to protect the account
   • Review account security and recent activity using the guidance in:
     • Troubleshooting verification code issues
     • How to help keep your Microsoft account secure
   • If there is any sign-in activity that is not recognized, follow the Secure your account flow from the recent activity page.

There is no supported way in the provided documentation to see the real-world identity of whoever is attempting the sign-in; only that an attempt is being made and should be denied if not initiated.

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References:

• Using Outlook mobile to sign in
• Why is Microsoft texting me?
• Authentication methods in Microsoft Entra ID - Microsoft Authenticator app
• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
• Troubleshoot problems with Microsoft Authenticator