can't sign into the micorosoft authenticator app

Microsoft cannot remove two-factor authentication from a personal account or bypass identity verification, but an organization’s administrator can reset MFA for a work or school account.

1. Try an existing verification method

On the password-reset screen, select Other ways to sign in, Use a different verification option, or I can’t use my Microsoft Authenticator app right now.

Use any method previously registered, such as:

• The Authenticator app on the old iPhone, if it remains available.
• A backup email address.
• A registered phone number.
• A recovery code saved when two-step verification was enabled.

For a personal Microsoft account with two-step verification enabled, password reset can require two registered contact methods.^1^

2. Restore Authenticator on the new iPhone

This works only if Authenticator backup was enabled on the previous iPhone and the same iCloud account is accessible:

1. On the new iPhone, enable iCloud Drive, iCloud Keychain, and iCloud Backup.
2. Install and open Microsoft Authenticator.
3. Allow the backed-up account names and eligible one-time-password codes to appear.
4. For an account showing Sign in to restore your account, tap Sign in, enter the password, and complete verification using the registered email address or phone number.^2^

Passwordless credentials and work or school account credentials are not restored from backup; those accounts must be registered again. If access to iCloud itself is the problem, contact Apple Support using the link provided on that restoration page.

3. If this is a personal Outlook.com, Hotmail, or Microsoft account

Use Microsoft’s Sign-in Helper from the support page. However, if two-step verification is enabled and none of the registered verification methods is accessible, the account recovery form and Microsoft support cannot bypass 2FA, send a reset link, remove security information, or alter the account.^3^

If one or more verification methods remain accessible, complete the password-reset process with those methods. After regaining access:

1. Open the Microsoft account Security tab.
2. Select Manage how I sign in.
3. Add the new Authenticator registration and additional recovery methods.
4. Remove the old phone registration only after the new method works.

4. If this is a work or school email account

Contact the organization’s IT help desk or Microsoft 365 administrator. An Authentication Administrator can reset the registered MFA methods:

1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center.
2. Go to Entra ID → Users.
3. Select the affected user.
4. Select Authentication methods.
5. Choose Require re-register MFA.
6. At the next sign-in, register Authenticator on the new iPhone by scanning the displayed QR code.^4^

This action deletes the user’s registered phone numbers, Authenticator registrations, and software OATH methods, so replacement methods must be configured during the next sign-in.

If this is the tenant’s only administrator account and no other authentication method works, the normal administrator reset cannot be performed; contact Microsoft Support and request account-access assistance. Support may validate tenant ownership, but ordinary support agents cannot directly change personal-account details or provide password-reset links.^1^

References

1. How to use two-step verification with your Microsoft account | Microsoft Support
2. iOS
3. Help with the Microsoft account recovery form | Microsoft Support
4. Manage user authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication