Cannot access security Information and login to Authenticator app

Question

I am trying to change verification methods in the security info, updating my security informations via: https://mysignins.microsoft.com.
Unfortunately I get:

"Approve sign-in request" -> Open your microsoft Authenticator app and approve the request to sign in

if I choose that I cannot use the app i get 2 other option:
1 - Approve request on my microsoft Authenticator app -> which I cant login
2 - Use a verificationc code from my mobile app , then "please type the code displayed on your auth app"-> which i cant login

I have downloaded the app but the same happen there if I try to login to the same account.

This is a working account. I am the admin.
I have access to Office 365 admin center and Azure portal admin center

I cannot: Manually add an account to the Authenticator app
I have tried to add my phone number in office 365, but still i cannot access the security

So basically I can't log back into my microsoft authenticator app in order to remove this feature

I have access to

• https://admin.microsoft.com/
• https://portal.azure.com/
• https://account.activedirectory.windowsazure.com/r/#/profile

Answer 1

I found a solution.
Hope this will be useful for the one in the same situation.

This is a work type account. Not personal, not school.

Originally the problem was that I could not change the windows login authentication from password to pincode because it said "you cannot change the pincode, is handled from your organization"

The account I have is not a Microsoft account, hence if I try to login into Microsoft account page I will get an error saying that does not exist.
I have gotten this account via Azure account because I have purchased Office 365 services.

The account I have is a GLOBAL administrator in Azure portal.

Apparently a Global administrator cannot take away the MFA of itself.
I could not access to my security information in my account page because got prompt with MFA on the auth app, which I dont have.
I have tried to download and sign in into the authentication app but i have gotten prompt the MFA there also.... ->bad circle here....

I notice there were a total of 2 Global administrator.
The second Global administrator had a password reset option with my account.
So I have changed the password of the second global administrator via password reset to my account.

I then logged in with the second Global Administrator , clicked on re-register MFA and took away the MFA of my account and choose another authentication method.

Not sure how to solve this if I were the only Global admin or if I could not reset the password of the second Global admin.

Answer 2

@MagoMerlino
Thank you for your post!

Based off your issue description, since you can't access/login to your Authenticator App, can you share what type of account you used when setting the Authenticator app? For example, if you used a personal Microsoft account, you could go to the two-step verification area of your Account Security page and choose to turn off verification. Or if you used a work or school Microsoft account, you could go to the two-step verification area of either your My Apps page or your organization's company portal to turn off verification.

For future reference, I'd also recommend leveraging the Back up and recover account credentials feature in the Authenticator app, to prevent you from being locked out again.

Additional Links:
Set up the Microsoft Authenticator app as your verification method
Common problems with the Microsoft Authenticator app
I can't log back into my microsoft authenticator app.

If you have any other questions, please let me know.
Thank you for your time and patience throughout this issue.

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Answer 3

I am facing same issue. I am unable to add or not getting notification on my auth app. How i can resolve it. I am facing same from last week.