Microsoft Authenticator is asking me to authenticate using Microsoft Authenticator to use Microsoft Authenticator

This is a feedback loop. And I have been dealing with it myself. Honestly this is a common issue for new coders. I am pretty sure they inserted a workaround without actually addressing the real issue. Because I noticed if you login elsewhere you can bypass this. But it's incredibly lazy and absolutely unacceptable that Microsoft hasn't properly fixed this issue. Especially since they plan on making authenticator mandatory at some point. Listen Microsoft, fix your **** and stop being lazy or people have every right to sue you. When we can't properly use our accounts or devices because of decisions you as a company make, guess what? You become responsible.

There is no reason why I am being told to authenticate authenticator, it should only require a password. Tying the authenticator itself as a necessity to login to authenticator should be as apparently stupid to you as it is to everyone else dealing with this issue. It's not fixed.

Hello,

Read the thread, none of the solutions either seemed to apply to my situation, or work for me if they did.

I am using a Work account. Nothing has changed on our end since the last time I was previously signed in on this same device.
The authenticator app dropped my account info at some point in an app/phone update and is requiring me to re-sign in.

Every attempt to sign in asks me to confirm my sign-in with the authenticator app. Other options include 'sign in via code' (from the same authenticator app).

Can't access excel anymore until I resolve this, but I don't see a solution from this thread really being realistic? This seems very clearly like a back-end issue. Not to be impatient, but it looks very clearly like an unsolvable loop without developer intervention, does it not?

This application and technology is ridiculous! Authenticate the authenticator - what Microsoft?!?!?!

Thanks for the reply with what you discovered Ben. It's likely that might aid some others experiencing the problem realize they also had authenticator configured on a previous phone as well.

As to why the message isn't clearer, as a past network administrator myself, I often experienced similar confusing messages when unexpected situations occur. I'm not trying to defend Microsoft here, just state that in some cases it's not possible for the app involved (i.e., authenticator) to properly identify what's causing it to fail.

That's when only someone who's managed to find the true problem like yourself can help others by telling them what the deeper issue might be.

Rob

Yeah this is greaaaaat design. I immediately asked our admin if we can go back to google apps. Seriously, what's wrong with MS...

2FA is deactivated on our domain. Nobody should have this problem. It has been automatically forced for our company since today. Users are locked out of their account because the authenticator they just installed needs the code from the authenticator which is not set up to set up the authenticator.

Yeah this sentence almost doesn't mean anything with the stupid sh*t MS just sent our way.

Personnally I think we should go back to office 2016 and google apps, if microsoft can just shut down our access like this.

Ben Corr,

I haven't been clear that my aid here mostly relates to the consumer version of the Authenticator app, since this operates differently than when used with the Azure directory back-end used for Work or School accounts and as such, can cause confusion when discussed in these forums intended for consumers.

We can usually determine that Azure is involved when people mention they receive 6-digit rather than the 8-digit codes received by personal account holders, but obviously that's not been mentioned here due to the lack of functionality you're all experiencing.

Since it appears it's likely at least some of you have Work or School accounts, it's really the responsibility of admin or other IT support to deal with these issues, since they should either have some form of direct Microsoft support channel or at least a better idea how to access this than individual users like consumers.

The trouble-shooting for these is also different for the very reasons you've mentioned, so that's not something most here are aware of due to the fact that personal accounts are managed directly by the user himself in their online account profile.

Rob