How to login into Authenticator?

Question

Authenticator requires me to login to unlock it. A personal outlook email account and a work email account are attached to the Authenticator

I have tried to login using the passwords for both accounts. Neither of them are accepted.

What password am i supposed to use?

Answer 1

Microsoft Authenticator does not use the password of the personal Outlook account or the work account to unlock the app.

To approve a sign-in, the app may need to be unlocked on the device first. That unlock is typically the phone’s local unlock method, such as PIN, fingerprint, or face recognition. For work or school accounts, the app may need to be unlocked before confirming sign-in.

If Authenticator is asking for a password and neither account password works:

1. Check whether the prompt is actually the device/app unlock prompt, not an account sign-in prompt.
2. Unlock the phone using the device PIN, fingerprint, or face recognition.
3. Open Authenticator and look for the sign-in request again.
4. If authentication still does not complete, make sure:
   • Authenticator is unlocked
   • notifications are enabled
   • the app is updated to the latest version
   • the device has internet access
   • date and time are correct

If the issue is with a work or school account and access is blocked, the next step is to contact the IT admin to reset MFA or allow re-registration.

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• Sign in using Microsoft Authenticator
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