Can't approve sign-in in Microsoft Authenticator with school account

Question

Can't approve sign-in in Microsoft Authenticator with school account

varon crack 0

Hello, I have a problem with the Microsoft Authenticator app and my school Microsoft account (domain @soy.sena.edu.co). What happens: 1. I try to sign in with my school account in the browser on my laptop. 2. Microsoft shows me a verification number that I must approve in the Authenticator app on my phone. 3. When I open Authenticator on my phone, I can't approve that number because the app won't let me sign in to my profile/account. 4. When I try to sign in inside Authenticator, an error appears and it asks me to enable a code, but I can't complete that step either. As a result, I'm stuck in a loop: I can't access my account in the browser or in the Authenticator app. Error shown in the app:

Request Id: [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed]
Correlation Id: [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed] - Timestamp: 2026-10-10T04:18:38.599Z What I need: To be able to access my account from the Authenticator app on my phone so I can approve the verification number Microsoft sends me when I sign in. Additional information: - Account type: school/education account (SENA institution, Colombia). - Devices: laptop (browser) and phone with Microsoft Authenticator.

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2 answers

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Answer 1

Hello @varon crack,

Based on your description, your MFA settings will need to be reset so that you can register and configure your multi-factor authentication (MFA) method on another device.

I would like to clarify that this forum is intended for users to assist one another. No one, including myself, has the authority or the tools to unlock MFA on your behalf.

Could you please confirm that you are the end-user or the IT admin of your organization?

Firstly, please reach out to your IT administrator/Microsoft 365 administrator and ask them to reset your MFA settings using the Microsoft Entra Admin Center.

If you haven’t yet reached out, here’s a helpful guide to locate your Microsoft 365 administrator: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support

Ask your administrator to follow these steps:

Go to Microsoft Entra Admin Center: https://entra.microsoft.com
Navigate to Entra ID > Users > All Users.
Select your user account.
Go to Authentication Methods.
Click "Require re-register multifactor authentication".

This will reset your MFA settings. The next time you sign in, you’ll be prompted to set up the Authenticator app again using a QR code.

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If you are the only administrator in this tenant, please let me know so I can assist with further step if needed.

I hope this information helps. Please feel free to leave a comment if you need any further assistance.

Kind Regards.

Answer 2

For a school account, this loop usually means the current Microsoft Authenticator registration is no longer usable on the phone, or the approval is being sent to a different device. The supported path is:

Check whether the approval is going to an older phone.
- If Microsoft Authenticator was previously active on another device, the push notification may still be sent there.
- If the old device is available, open Authenticator on that device and approve the sign-in.
If the current phone is the only device, verify the app can receive and complete prompts.
- Open Microsoft Authenticator and make sure the app is unlocked.
- In phone settings, make sure push notifications are enabled for Authenticator.
- Confirm the phone has internet access. If needed, switch between Wi‑Fi and mobile data.
- Make sure the phone date and time are correct.
- Update Microsoft Authenticator to the latest version from the app store.
- If this is a work/school-managed device, also update Company Portal and make sure the device is compliant.
If Authenticator opens but sign-in still fails with the loop, the account likely needs to be re-registered for MFA.
- For a school account, MFA methods are managed by the organization.
- The next step is to contact the school IT administrator or helpdesk and ask them to reset MFA / authentication methods or require MFA re-registration for the account.
- After that reset, the next sign-in should prompt setup of Microsoft Authenticator again from the beginning.
Before contacting IT, send logs from the app.
- In Authenticator, open the app’s top-level menu or settings and select Send feedback.
- Then provide the school IT admin/helpdesk with the problem details and the error identifiers already captured.

If another verification method is offered during sign-in, select Other ways to sign in and use that method temporarily. If the sign-in page shows Approve a request on my Microsoft Authenticator app, that confirms the account is currently expecting Authenticator approval.