How to fix my 1 of two accounts in Authenticator

Aurora Alejandrina Breton Aguilar 0 Reputation points
2026-10-21T20:04:30.25+00:00

Hi lately when I try to sign to Authenticator it defaults to a login from my other company. I had to set up Authenticator for air Canada on another phone. Before I could switch between the two of them. My phone automatically thinks it’s the other company and I get blocked. What can I do to get the old system back?

Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Teams for business | Sign up and Sign in | Switch between accounts
0 comments

2 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Jay1 Tran 1,910 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-21T20:39:16.6966667+00:00

    Hi Aurora,

    Thank you for reaching out.

    The behavior you described could occur at different points in the sign-in process, so I need some additional information to identify the cause.

    Could you please clarify the following:

    • When you try to sign in, does the Microsoft sign-in page automatically select the wrong work account, or does Microsoft Authenticator prompt you to approve a sign-in for the wrong account?
    • Is your Air Canada account currently listed in Authenticator on the phone you are using?
    • What exact error message appears when you are blocked?
    • Are you still able to access the phone on which you originally configured the Air Canada account?
    • What do you mean by the “old system”? Are you referring to having both company accounts in Authenticator on the same phone?

    Once you provide these details, I can better determine whether the issue is caused by a saved sign-in session, the Authenticator registration, or the account configuration managed by your organization.

    Thank you for your time and understanding.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments

  2. AI answer

    2026-10-21T20:04:46.82+00:00

    This usually happens because the sign-in approval is still tied to the device or account registration that was last used, so the push goes to the wrong Authenticator setup.

    Try this in order:

    1. Check whether the approval is being sent to the other phone.
      • If the other phone still has Microsoft Authenticator active, the prompt may be going there instead of the current phone.
      • If possible, open Authenticator on that phone and see whether the sign-in request appears.
    2. Use another sign-in method if one is available.
      • On the sign-in screen, choose a different verification method such as SMS.
      • This can get access back without relying on the wrong Authenticator registration.
    3. Remove the old phone or outdated sign-in method from security info.
      • Old Authenticator registrations can keep receiving prompts until they are removed.
      • For work or school MFA, remove the old phone entry and then add the current phone again.
    4. Re-register the current phone in Authenticator.
      • If the account was restored to a new phone, work or school accounts still require signing in again.
      • If Authenticator shows “Sign in to add your account”, open that account in the app and sign in again.
    5. If push notifications are failing on the current phone, verify the app and device settings.
      • In Authenticator, make sure notifications are enabled.
      • Confirm the phone has network connectivity.
      • Update Microsoft Authenticator to the latest version.
      • If needed, restart the phone.
    6. If the problem is with a work account managed by another organization, contact that organization’s IT admin.
      • Guest or cross-organization access often keeps MFA registration tied to the old phone.
      • The admin may need to reset MFA methods so the account can be registered again on the current device.

    If the goal is to get the old behavior back where both accounts work on one phone, the practical fix is to remove outdated Authenticator registrations and re-add each account on the current phone so each organization points to the same active device.

    References:

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

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.