Authenticator app failed

Question

I got a new phone and it signed me out of my email on my phone. I have been trying to get it back but it also signed me out of my authenticator app on my phone. When I sign in it only gives me the option to scan QR code (doesnt work) or a securtiy key (i dont have). I tried to reset it but it still wont work

Answer 1

The correct recovery path depends on whether this is a personal Microsoft account or a work/school account; resetting the password does not replace the unavailable Authenticator verification method.

1. If Authenticator backup was enabled

Restore the backup before trying to add the account manually. Restoration must use the same device type—iPhone to iPhone or Android to Android—and the same recovery account used for the backup.^1^

• iPhone: Confirm the new phone uses the same Apple/iCloud account, then install and open Authenticator. For any entry showing Sign in to restore your account, tap Sign in and complete the additional verification.
• Android: If already signed into Authenticator, sign out of all accounts first. Open Authenticator and select Restore from backup or Begin recovery, then sign in with the personal Microsoft account used for Cloud Backup.

Important limitations:

• A personal account’s rotating verification codes can be restored, but passwordless sign-in must be registered again.
• A work or school backup restores only the account name. Its credentials must be registered again.
• If no backup existed, proceed according to the account type below.

2. Work or school email

If still signed in on another computer or browser

Use that authenticated session to register the new phone:

1. Open Office.com → profile picture → View account → Security info, or open the organization’s Security info page.
2. Select Add sign-in method → Authenticator app → Add.
3. In Authenticator on the new phone, select + → Work or school account → Scan QR code.
4. Scan the newly generated setup QR code displayed on the computer—not a QR code from the sign-in screen.
5. Complete the test notification or number-matching prompt.
6. Test a new sign-in before removing the old phone’s method.^2^

If there is no active session

Select Sign in another way. If another previously registered method appears, such as a phone call or email, use it and then register the new Authenticator app. If the link or another method is absent, Microsoft’s documented path is to contact the organization’s administrator or help desk.^3^

Ask the administrator for a Temporary Access Pass (TAP) or another organization-approved bootstrap method. With a TAP:

1. Open Authenticator.
2. Select Add account → Work or school account → Sign in.
3. Enter the email address and use the TAP when prompted.
4. Complete the Authenticator registration.^4^

An Authentication Administrator may also select:

Microsoft Entra admin center → Entra ID → Users → your account → Authentication methods → Require re-register MFA

However, this deletes the account’s registered phone numbers, Authenticator apps, and software OATH tokens. It should be done only after the administrator confirms that a TAP or another permitted method will let you complete the next sign-in.^5^

3. Personal Microsoft email

At the verification screen, look for Other ways to sign in, Use a different verification option, or an available recovery email. If one works:

1. Open the Microsoft account Security page.
2. Select Manage how I sign in.
3. Select Add a new way to sign in or verify.
4. Add the new Authenticator registration and at least one additional recovery method.
5. Test the new method before removing the obsolete phone entry.^6^

If two-step verification is enabled and Authenticator was the only registered verification method, the recovery form and Microsoft Support cannot bypass it or change the account’s security details. The recovery form applies when two-step verification is not enabled; use Microsoft’s Sign-in Helper in that case.^7^

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References

1. Transfer Microsoft Authenticator account entries to a new phone
2. How do I make my authenticator app work on my new device? - Microsoft Q&A
3. Sign in using two-step verification or security info | Microsoft Support
4. Configure Temporary Access Pass to register passwordless authentication methods
5. Manage user authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication
6. Microsoft account security info & verification codes | Microsoft Support
7. Help with the Microsoft account recovery form | Microsoft Support