My authenticator won’t let me sign in without authenticating… but i can’t access the authenticator

Question

I am going to lose my mind. First off let me say Microsoft has the absolute worst customer support i’ve ever seen in my life. this whole self help read some articles set up is so frustrating and pointless. GET ME ON THE PHONE WITH A HUMAN!!!! I am trying to log in to my school account on my new phone, but i need to use the stupid authenticator. But guess what.. i can’t sign into the authenticator without authenticating on the authenticator app! the app that i cannot access! wtf is happening!?! why is there no help!?!

Answer 1

Dear @Emma Holbrook,

I completely understand how frustrating this loop is, and I apologize for the difficulty this has caused.

Because your account is managed through your school, your school's IT Helpdesk or M365 Administrator is the only entity with the security permissions to reset your Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) settings.

When you get a new phone, your old Authenticator registration doesn't automatically transfer, which creates this exact sign-in loop. Microsoft Support cannot access or modify school accounts directly for privacy and security reasons.

Here is the exact solution to fix this issue:

1. Contact your school’s IT Help Desk / Service Desk (via phone, in-person, or their online ticket system).
2. Ask them to "Re-register authentication" or "Require re-register MFA" for your account in the Azure Active Directory portal.
3. Once they click that button on their end, the next time you log into your school account on your new phone, it will prompt you to set up the Microsoft Authenticator app from scratch with a new QR code.

For official documentation on how your school admin resolves this, you can refer them to Manage authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication - Microsoft Entra ID |…

Please reach out to your school’s IT department directly, and they will be able to clear this block for you in just a few minutes.