Authenticator App not Working

Question

I cannot access my business account to update payment information because the authenticator app isn't working. I have switched phones. I have called the support line and have been on the phone with an AI bot ... I get to a certain point in explaining the issue, and the phone goes silent - it does repeat the issue correctly, and then nothing.

I've tried several times and finally got past this point, but the next issue is, I need a "global administrator" .... I don't have one - it is me - small business - there is no help provided. What can I do?

Please help - any information would be greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

Dear @CF,

If your business consists of only yourself and there are no other Global Administrators in the tenant, I recommend creating a new Microsoft 365 trial tenant and using that account to submit a support ticket to Microsoft.

Please follow the step-by-step instructions provided below to create the trial account and raise a support request:

1.Visit the Microsoft 365 Enterprise Plans page: Go to Compare Office 365 Enterprise Pricing and Plans | Microsoft 365. 

2.Choose a plan and start a free trial: Select any of the available plans and click "Try for free" to begin the trial setup process. 

3.Follow the guided setup: Complete the steps to create a new Microsoft account and a new tenant. This will be a separate and independent Microsoft 365 environment. 

4.Access the Microsoft 365 Admin Center: Once the new tenant is created, navigate to https://admin.microsoft.com/AdminPortal/Home#/homepage

5.Go to Support: In the left-hand navigation menu, click on "Support" and then "Help & support." 

6.Raise a support ticket: Please describe your issue in detail. Since you are the only user and administrator of the affected Microsoft 365 tenant, please clearly state that you are unable to access your business account due to the MFA issue and that there are no other Global Administrators available in the organization to assist. Additionally, please provide the following information about your locked account:  

• The domain name of your tenant  
• Any error messages you are receiving. 
• Confirmation that you are the only user and administrator of the tenant. 

7.Submit your ticket:

Follow the prompts to submit your support request. You will likely receive a ticket number for tracking. 

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. 
• Be prepared for Microsoft support to ask for verification of your identity and administrative rights for the locked tenant. 
• 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. You can typically do this within the Microsoft 365 Admin Center under "Billing" > "Your products." 

If you encounter any difficulties while following the steps above, please let me know which step you are having trouble with, and I'll be happy to clarify further.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation, and I look forward to your update.

Hope you having a nice day and really much warm regards to you as well!