I got a new phone and my new one will not work on Authenticator app

Dayton Veremy 0 Reputation points
2026-10-06T15:12:35.17+00:00

Good morning, I am having trouble signing into some emails for school because I got a new phone and my Authenticator app won’t send the number to this phone. I can log into the app but as soon as I try and verify my email I’m trying to get it does not work. But it still sends it to my old phone. How do I fix this?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Subscription, account, billing | For education | Other
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  1. AI answer

    2026-10-06T15:12:46.71+00:00

    This usually happens because the approval request is still being sent to the device where Microsoft Authenticator was last used.

    1. Check the old phone first. If it still has Microsoft Authenticator, open the app there and approve the sign-in.
    2. After access is restored, go to the Security info or Additional security verification page for the school account and remove the old phone entry.
    3. On that same page, select Add sign-in method and add the new phone.
    4. If prompted for an authentication method, choose Phone and complete the setup.
    5. If the school uses the Authenticator app for sign-in, add the account again on the new phone during the registration flow.

    If the new phone is already showing the account but it does not actually approve sign-ins, that can mean the old device is still the active notification target. Removing the old device and registering the new one fixes that.

    If the old phone is no longer available, use Sign in another way or another verification method such as SMS if that option appears. If no alternate method is available for the school account, the school IT admin or helpdesk needs to reset MFA so the new phone can be registered again.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Jack-Bu 6,955 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-06T16:07:10.36+00:00

    Hello Dayton

    Please note that only your school administrators can help you in this situation. You'll need to contact your school administrator to reset your MFA settings. Here's how they can do it: Manage user authentication options.

    If you don't know who your administrator is, you can follow the guidance in this article: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin?

    If you need any additional information, please feel free to comment below. I'll be happy to help.

    I hope you're able to regain access to your account soon.

    Note: Please follow the steps in [our documentation] to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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