FIX MY AUTHENTICATOR APP

The new phone must be restored from an existing Authenticator backup or registered again; if no other sign-in method is available, a work/school administrator must reset MFA, while a personal account requires security-information recovery.

1. Check for another sign-in method

On the page requesting Authenticator approval:

1. Select Sign in another way or I can’t use my Microsoft Authenticator app right now.
2. Choose an available method, such as text message, email, security key, passkey, or recovery code.
3. After signing in, add Authenticator on the new phone and remove the old phone’s registration.

Do not remove the old method until the new one has successfully completed a test sign-in.

2. Restore Authenticator if backup was enabled

This works only if Authenticator backup was configured on the broken phone and the new phone is the same device type—iPhone to iPhone or Android to Android.

• Android: Open Authenticator and select Restore from backup before signing in. Use the same personal Microsoft account that stored the backup.
• iPhone: Restore through the same iCloud account, then open Authenticator and sign in to each restored account.

For work or school accounts, restoring usually transfers only the account name. Open the restored account and complete sign-in again. Personal accounts using passwordless sign-in may also require sign-in again.^1^

3. If this is a work or school account

Contact your organization’s IT help desk and ask:

“My previous phone is unavailable. Please require me to re-register for MFA so I can configure Microsoft Authenticator on my new phone.”

An Authentication Administrator can perform this in:

1. Microsoft Entra admin center → Entra ID → Users.
2. Select your user account.
3. Select Authentication methods.
4. Select Require re-register MFA.

This removes the registered Authenticator and related MFA methods, then prompts you to configure a new method at your next sign-in.^2^

After the reset, sign in again and follow the QR-code setup process on the new phone. If you are the organization’s only administrator, contact Microsoft Support for account-specific recovery; a forum cannot reset the tenant.

4. If this is a personal Microsoft account

For an Outlook.com, Hotmail.com, Live.com, Xbox, or other personal Microsoft account:

• If you can access at least one existing email address or phone number, use it to sign in. Then open Advanced security options, add a new verification method, verify it, and remove the unavailable method.
• If you know the password but cannot access any listed security method, select I don’t have any of these at the verification prompt and follow the security-information replacement process. Microsoft applies a 30-day wait before sign-in becomes available with the replacement information.^3^
• If two-step verification was enabled and no alternate verification method is accessible, Microsoft support cannot manually send a code or bypass that protection.^4^

References

1. Transfer Microsoft Authenticator account entries to a new phone
2. Manage user authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication
3. Troubleshoot Microsoft verification code issues | Microsoft Support
4. Help with the Microsoft account recovery form | Microsoft Support