Outlook support Authenticator App

Hi @Mirzi Clark, 

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

Regarding the issue with signing in using your Microsoft Authenticator. I appreciate your patience and the details you provided. 

From your description, it appears the Authenticator app hasn’t been fully re‑registered after you added the account again. Please note that resetting your password does not reset your multi‑factor authentication (MFA) methods, those must be re‑enrolled separately. In many organizations, the default MFA method is push approval with number matching, which means the app will not display a 6‑digit code unless it has been set up specifically for verification codes. During sign‑in, you may instead see a number on the screen that you enter in the app to approve the request.  

Here are my recommendations, please follow the steps below: 

1/ If you can still sign in on a browser (already passed MFA somewhere) 

• Visit: https://mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info 
• Remove any old or unusable authentication methods. 
• Select Add sign-in method > Authenticator app > Set up, then scan the QR code using Microsoft Authenticator on your phone. This completes proper registration. 

Testing sign-in: 

• If your company uses push + number matching, the sign‑in page will display a number for you to type into the app no 6‑digit code is required.  
• If you want to use 6‑digit verification codes, add “Authenticator app - Use verification code” as an additional method after the push method is set up. 

For additional information, you can refer to these articles:  

• How number matching works in MFA push notifications for Authenticator - Microsoft Entra ID | Micros… 
• Set up Security info from a sign-in page - Microsoft Support 

2/ If you are blocked at the MFA step and cannot access the Security Info page 

• If you're an admin, please check to see if there are other IT admins in your organization who can help you with the reset MFA for your account and you can share the steps outlined in the article Manage user authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication. This will help them assist you in resetting your MFA settings and restoring access to your account.

3/ Contact Microsoft Data Protection Support by phone 

• If you're the only admin, in this situation, the Microsoft Data Protection Team has tools and processes in place to verify identity and regain access to administrator accounts. You can try reaching out to the Global Customer Service phone to raise a request for resetting your authentication method here: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support.  

Please note that forum moderators do not have access to user account settings and cannot assist with logging in, resetting passwords, or changing access rights. While we do not have access to internal systems or administrative tools required to resolve account-specific or backend-related issues but we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities.    
  

Here are some tips and an example of a prompt to help you navigate the IVR more effectively:        

IVR: What kind of problem are you concerned about?   You: Authenticator.    

A: What products do you use?   You: Office 365 for business. 

Verification: Education or company account?   You: For companies 

IVR: Are you an administrator?    You: Yes. 

IVR: Are there any other administrators in your organization?    You: No. 

IVR: Do you need a... Service request?    You: Yes. I need to create a ticket. Please send me directly to the Data Protection Team. 

+ If you cannot reach a live agent, there is still a workaround, you might consider registering for a new tenant by signing up for a trial subscription and submit your request from there.      

To set up a new tenant, please follow these steps below: 

Visit Microsoft 365 Business Plans and Pricing | Microsoft 365. This would allow you to create a new tenant following the prompts provided. Once set up, you can access the admin console of the new tenant and submit a support ticket requesting to speak with the Data Protection team on behalf of your previous tenant.       

Follow the guided setup process to create a new account for a new tenant.   

Once your tenant is created, you should be able to access the support portal and submit your ticket referencing your locked account without further issues 

In your ticket description, you'll need to clearly explain that you're trying to regain access to your previous Microsoft 365 tenant and need help from the Data Protection team. Here's a message you can use or adapt:   

"Hello, I am currently unable to sign in to my Microsoft 365 account because I no longer have access to the Microsoft Authenticator app on my previous device. As a result, I cannot approve any MFA prompts or receive verification codes. 

Since I cannot complete the MFA step, I’m unable to sign in to my account or access the Security Info page to re-register Microsoft Authenticator. I have already reset my password, but the system still requires MFA, so I remain locked out. 

I kindly request assistance in resetting my MFA authentication methods so that I can sign in again and set up Microsoft Authenticator on my new device. 

This is urgent, as I rely on my Microsoft 365 access for work. I am ready to provide any information needed to verify my identity and complete the recovery process."   

Ticket Support: In the Microsoft 365 Admin Center > Support > Help & Support. You can raise support ticket at https://admin.microsoft.com/#/support/requests     

Please remember to cancel the trial subscription after your issue is resolved, as this will help you avoid any accidental billing. You may prefer the following resource for detailed instructions: Cancel your Microsoft business subscription in the Microsoft 365 admin center | Microsoft Learn 

I hope this helps you regain access to your account quickly. I'm glad to assist and truly hope the information provided has been useful. Please feel free to reach out anytime if you need further assistance.  
If you find my post helpful, kindly consider marking it as the accepted answer. Doing so can assist others in the community who may have similar questions in finding solutions more quickly.  
Thank you for your kindness and contributions to the forum.  

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For a company Outlook account that uses Microsoft Authenticator, the sign-in code or approval must come from a correctly registered work or school account entry inside the Authenticator app. If no code appears and sign-in keeps failing, the account’s multifactor authentication (MFA) registration likely needs to be reset by the organization.

Use these steps and checks:

1. Confirm the correct account type in Authenticator
   • Open Microsoft Authenticator.
   • Add the account using Work or school account, not Personal.
   • Use the QR-code method if possible:
     1. Go to the Security info page for the work account in a browser: https://mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info.
     2. Select Add sign-in method → Microsoft Authenticator → Add → Next to show a QR code.
     3. In Authenticator, tap + → Add account → Work or school account → Scan a QR Code and scan the QR code.
   • After this, the account entry in Authenticator should show either push approvals or a One-time password code line that can be used when prompted.
2. If Authenticator shows an error during setup
   • If Authenticator shows a message like “To set up Microsoft Authenticator, you'll need to go to aka.ms/mfasetup on a web browser” or “You might be signing in from a location that is restricted by your admin”, the tenant admin has Conditional Access or security policies that block registration.
   • In that case, contact the company’s IT administrator and ask them to:
     • Allow registration of Microsoft Authenticator for the account, or
     • Temporarily adjust Conditional Access so the app can be registered.
3. Ask the company admin to reset MFA for the account
   • Because password reset alone does not change MFA registration, an admin must reset the MFA methods if the app is no longer working.
   • The company’s Microsoft 365/Entra admin can:
     • Go to the Microsoft Entra admin center (https://entra.microsoft.com).
     • Open Users → All users → [your account] → Authentication methods.
     • Use Require re-register multifactor authentication to clear the existing Authenticator registration.
   • After this reset, the next sign-in will prompt to set up Authenticator again (usually via QR code as in step 1).
4. If sign-in keeps failing after multiple attempts
   • Multiple failed MFA attempts can trigger protection and temporarily block more attempts.
   • Wait before trying again or use an alternative MFA method if one exists (SMS, phone call, or another app) as configured on the Security info page.
   • If there is suspicion of account lock or malicious activity, the company admin should review Microsoft Entra sign-in logs and assist further.
5. For Outlook on iOS with company protection
   • If the company uses Intune or app protection policies, ensure the device and apps are set up in the required order:
     1. Install Microsoft Authenticator from the iOS App Store.
     2. If the device is company-managed, install Intune Company Portal and complete enrollment as required.
     3. Install and open Outlook for iOS.
     4. Add the work account and follow prompts to sign in and approve via Authenticator.
     5. If prompted, complete device registration and set a PIN in Outlook.
   • If Outlook still cannot complete sign-in because Authenticator never provides a prompt or code, return to step 3 and involve the admin to reset MFA.

Because this is a business account, the key action is to have the organization’s Microsoft 365/Entra administrator reset the MFA registration for the account and then re-add the work account in Microsoft Authenticator using the QR-code method from the Security info page.

References:

• How to add your accounts to Microsoft Authenticator
• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
• Work or school account help
• Set up the Outlook app for iOS
• Failed to add Microsoft 365 account or cannot sync new messages with your existing Microsoft 365 account?
• I have a Micrsoft business account and I am the admin and the only user registered under this account. I can't log in because i have replaced my phone and the authenticator doesn't work. - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft authenticator sending me into a spiral - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft Authenticator app doesn't show 6-digit OTP code - Microsoft Q&A
• I need to reset my mfa methods - Microsoft Q&A
• Requesting a Tenant Admin MFA Reset - Microsoft Q&A