Lost authenticator app and cant log on any of my emails

Andreas Solstad engen 0 Reputation points
2026-03-10T23:19:06.01+00:00

I had to factory reset my phone, but i backed it up on icloud. When i got it up and running again i then saw i needed to log on my emails, but i was logged out of authenticator app and cant get on again how do i fix this.

Moved from Microsoft 365 and Office | Subscription, account, billing | For home | Other

Microsoft Security | Microsoft Authenticator
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  1. AI answer

    2026-03-10T23:19:18.7233333+00:00

    Because the phone was reset and Authenticator is signed out, the accounts need to be restored from the Authenticator backup and then re-signed in where required.

    Follow these steps on the iPhone (iOS):

    1. Make sure iCloud is correctly set up
      • On the iPhone, enable iCloud Drive, iCloud Keychain, and iCloud Backup.
      • Go to the Saved to iCloud list and confirm Authenticator is turned on so its data is stored in iCloud.
    2. Reinstall and restore Microsoft Authenticator
      • Install or open Microsoft Authenticator on the iPhone.
      • Sign in with the same personal Microsoft account that was used as the recovery account for Authenticator backup.
      • Use Restore from backup / recovery option so the saved account credentials are recovered to the device.
    3. Re-sign in to accounts that require it
      • For Microsoft personal accounts that use passwordless sign-in, and for work or school accounts, only the account name is restored. On each of these in Authenticator, tap Sign in and complete sign-in with password and any additional verification requested.
      • For accounts that only use one-time password codes (including most 3rd party accounts like Gmail, Amazon, etc.), the codes will work again once restored.
    4. If the backup does not appear
      • On the old device (if still available), ensure:
        • iCloud Drive, iCloud Keychain, and iCloud Backup are enabled.
        • Authenticator is enabled under Saved to iCloud.
        • Authenticator is updated to version 6.8.33 or later and opened at least once.
      • On the new/reset device, uninstall and reinstall Authenticator, then try the restore again.
    5. If still unable to restore
      • Add the accounts to Authenticator again manually using each provider’s security/MFA settings (for example, from the Microsoft account security page or each email provider’s 2FA page).

    Note: Backup and restore only work between the same device type (iOS→iOS). If the backup was created on iOS, it cannot be restored on Android.

    References:

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