Authenticator App

Halina Rose-Green 0 Reputation points
2026-11-02T19:56:18.8833333+00:00

I have been signed out of the authenticator app on my phone. In order for me to sign in it is asking me for the code sent to the authenticator app, which I cannot see because I was signed out. I am stuck in an endless loop.

Microsoft Security | Microsoft Authenticator

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  1. AI answer

    2026-11-02T19:57:05.6933333+00:00

    Select Sign in another way, I can’t use my Microsoft Authenticator app right now, or Show more verification options on the verification screen, then use any previously registered phone, email, security key, or recovery code.

    If this is a work or school account

    If no alternative method appears, contact your organization’s IT help desk or Microsoft 365 administrator. Ask them to:

    1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least an Authentication Administrator.
    2. Go to Entra ID → Users.
    3. Select your user account, then Authentication methods.
    4. Select Require re-register MFA.
    5. Select Revoke sessions.
    6. Have you sign in again and register Authenticator from scratch.

    Require re-register MFA removes the existing Authenticator and other MFA registrations; Revoke sessions forces a fresh authentication attempt.^1^

    If you are the only administrator and cannot access another administrator account, the reset cannot be performed from the locked account. Contact Microsoft support for tenant recovery assistance.

    If this is a personal Microsoft account

    If you know the password but have lost access to every security method:

    1. Begin signing in to your Microsoft account.
    2. At Verify your identity, select I don’t have any of these.
    3. Follow the prompts to replace your security information.
    4. After all security information is replaced, Microsoft applies a 30-day waiting period before sign-in is restored.^2^

    If two-step verification was enabled and no alternative verification method or recovery code is available, the account recovery form cannot bypass it, and support agents cannot manually send a code or change the account details.^3^

    If Authenticator backup was enabled

    Backup recovery may restore eligible one-time codes:

    • Android: Sign out of Authenticator first, then select Restore from backup or Begin recovery and sign in with the personal Microsoft account used for backup.
    • iPhone: Restore through the same iCloud account and device type used for backup.

    Work or school credentials and passwordless credentials are not restored—only the account name is restored, so those accounts must still be registered again. Backups also cannot be restored between iOS and Android.^4^

    After access is restored, add at least two additional sign-in methods so losing Authenticator does not cause another lockout.^5^

    References

    1. Manage user authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication
    2. Troubleshoot Microsoft verification code issues | Microsoft Support
    3. Help with the Microsoft account recovery form | Microsoft Support
    4. [iOS](https://support.microsoft.com/authenticator/restore-account-credentials-from-microsoft-authenticator#unable-to-restore-authenticator-account-credentials)
    5. Sign in to your work or school account using two-step verification | Microsoft Support
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Michelle Nguyen 2,620 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-11-05T04:03:17.4933333+00:00

    Hello @macumu cirimwami patient

    Thank you for the update. Could you please provide the following information so that the issue can be narrowed down?

    1. Is this a personal Microsoft account or a work/school account?
    2. Are you using Android or iOS?

    The recovery steps are different depending on whether the account is personal or work or school.

    1.For work or school account (@domain.com or @onmicrosoft.com)

    Please contact your organization's IT administrator and ask them to reset your authentication method so that you can register Microsoft Authenticator again. The administrator can follow Microsoft's documentation here: Manage authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication - Microsoft Entra ID |… 

    If you're unsure who your IT administrator is, please refer to How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support 

    2.For personal Microsoft account (@outlook.com, @hotmail.com, @live.com), you can try one of the following options: 

    -Use the Microsoft Account Recovery Form: Help with the Microsoft account recovery form | Microsoft Support 

    -Alternatively, contact Microsoft Support: Go to Contact - Microsoft Support >Type "Support" and click Get Help > Click Sign in to contact support at the bottom of the page > Choose Contact support tab > Under Products & Services, select Microsoft 365 and Office > under Category, select Technical Support > Confirm > Choose Chat with a support agent in your browser.

    I am only another community user and cannot access your account or tenant from here, but the additional details above should help determine whether this is an app, device, network, or account-registration issue.

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