New I Phone

Question

Trying to set up authenticator for work login on new phone and wants an authenticator no that i'm trying to log into.

Have no idea how to get past it

Answer 1

Dear @Kellie David

I understand your situation. In this case, if you're being asked for a code from Microsoft Authenticator while signing in on your new phone, it sounds like your account is still linked to the Authenticator app on your previous device.

First, try to look for "Sign in another way" > On the login screen, see if there's a link like: "I can't use my Microsoft Authenticator app right now", "Use a different verification method", or "Sign in another way" > If available, choose a text message, phone call, or another registered method.

Otherwise, if you still have access to your old phone, please use the Microsoft Authenticator app there to approve the sign-in and then update your security information to add the new phone (You can add or edit your own authentication methods in https://mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info)

If you no longer have access to the old phone and don't have another verification method available, since you are using a business account (@company(.onmicrosoft).com), you'll need to contact your organization's IT support team so they can reset your multi-factor authentication (MFA) settings. Once the reset is completed, you'll be able to sign in and register Microsoft Authenticator on your new device.

For step-by-step details, refer to the official Microsoft documentation: Manage authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication - Microsoft Entra ID | Microsoft Learn  

Note: If you do not know who your IT admin is, please refer to How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin?

However, if you are the only Admin in your tenant, only the Microsoft Data Protection team can help you regain access to your account. Please refer to this thread: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5963366/cannot-access-to-my-account-i-m-the-only-admin?page=0&orderby=Helpful&translated=false#answers

I hope the information shared helps point you in the right direction. Thank you for your patience and understanding. I'm looking forward to your update.

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Answer 2

For a work account on a new phone, the restored Authenticator entry usually shows only the account name. It must be signed in again to finish setup.

Use this path:

1. Keep the old phone if it is still available. Do not erase it until sign-in works on the new phone.
2. On the new iPhone, open Microsoft Authenticator.
3. If a backup was created before, tap Begin recovery and sign in with the personal Microsoft account used for the backup.
4. After restore, open the work account entry in Authenticator.
5. If red text says "Sign in to add your account", select the account and complete sign-in again.
6. If the device is managed for work, install Intune Company Portal, sign in with the work account, complete enrollment, wait for compliance, then return to Authenticator.
7. In Authenticator, select the work account and tap Set up 2-step verification or Enable phone sign-in if shown.

Important points:

• For work or school accounts, backup and restore transfers the account name only. Sign-in is required again on the new phone.
• If using app-based MFA, the old device is normally needed to approve setup on the new device.
• Android to iPhone backup restore is not supported, and iPhone to Android is not supported.

If the old phone is no longer available, the account must be re-registered for MFA on the new phone. Contact the organization’s IT admin or help desk for the approved recovery or registration process.

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• Transfer Microsoft Authenticator account entries to a new phone
• Migrate to a new iPhone for work