Stuck in an infinite loop of needing to already be signed in to the Authenticator app to approve a sign in FOR the authenticator app.

I was able to finally get out of this loop. My administrator had previously turned off all TFA requirements on our login settings. However, there was an option to reset all device login history. Apparently my account somehow got marked as having already been signed into a Microsoft Authenticator App on some device in the past. After resetting the trusted devices for my account, I was then able to sign into the Authenticator App and instead of asking me to approve the sign in, it instead asked me to provide a second authentication from either another email or a phone number. I was able to input my cell number and then get a text with a verification code and sign into the Authenticator App and finally approve my own sign in.

I had my admin try that before. and he said two factor authentication was already turned off on our accounts. However, he found an option to delete previous device sign in history. That fixed the issue because my account was somehow showing as already signed into the authenticator app.

I am having the same problem BUT, I am the only user on this domain, and therefore the administrator of the MFA. I do not seem to have any way of logging on without using the Authenticator App, but cannot add the account to the app as you describe, so I am 100% stuck!

Ironically, I somehow managed to reset the password to the account!

So I can reset the password, but I cannot get past the authenticator app part. This is so frustrating.

Any help greatly appreciated.

My system admin showed me the screen he had where it has the option to reset my account password. On the same account settings page there was another option to clear all Sign-in/Device history. But I don't recall exactly what the test of the option says (and don't have admin access myself to view the same page). But it essentially forced my account to be signed out of all trusted devices. After that was done, I was then able to try signing into the Authenticator app using just my email and password and instead of it asking me to approve the sign in (on the authenticator app I was trying to sign into) it instead asked me to provide a secondary contact option as either an alternate email, or a phone number. I was able to input my cell number and then get a SMS code sent to my phone to authenticate it and then sign into the Authenticator app by again getting a SMS code to approve the sign in.

So somewhere in the Microsoft system, it thinks your account is already signed into the authenticator app on some device. So you have to tell it to sign you out of any and all devices, which then resets the options for secondary authentication.

I am having the same problem. Please share any solutions here if you come across one. Thanks!