A Microsoft app for iOS and Android devices that enables authentication with two-factor verification, phone sign-in, and code generation
To get a new QR code and re‑register Microsoft Authenticator, the QR code must be generated from the account’s security or sign-in setup page, not from the app itself.
For a personal Microsoft account (Outlook.com, Hotmail, etc.):
- Go to the Microsoft account Security page: https://account.microsoft.com/security and sign in.
- Select Manage how I sign in to view your sign-in and verification methods.
- Select Add a new way to sign in or verify.
- Choose Use an app.
- If Authenticator is already installed, select Set up a different Authenticator app, then Next to display a new QR code.
- On the phone, open Microsoft Authenticator, tap the + icon, choose Personal account, then Scan a QR code and scan the code shown on the computer.
- If the camera cannot scan, select I can't scan the bar code on the PC and Enter code manually in the app.
For a work or school account (Microsoft Entra ID / Microsoft 365) where sign-in is prompting for setup:
- Start sign-in to the work or school account until the Set up your account or security info wizard appears.
- Continue until the Scan the QR code page is shown.
- On the phone, open Microsoft Authenticator, add a Work or school account (or follow the prompt from the wizard), and use the app’s QR reader to scan the code.
- If scanning fails, select Can't scan the QR image on the PC and manually enter the code and URL into the app.
- Select Next on the Scan the QR code page; approve the test notification in Authenticator when prompted.
If unable to reach the security page because of MFA lockout (no working method at all), an administrator must reset MFA:
- For a work/school account, a Microsoft Entra administrator can use Require re-register multifactor authentication on the user in the Entra admin center so that sign-in will force a fresh Authenticator setup with a new QR code.
- If there is no other admin or it is a business tenant where the only admin is locked out, Microsoft support/Data Protection team must be contacted by phone to reset MFA at the tenant level.
References:
- How to add your accounts to Microsoft Authenticator
- Set up Security info from a sign-in page
- Troubleshoot problems with Microsoft Authenticator
- I need to reset my mfa methods - 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
- Global Admin Locked out - Microsoft Q&A
- Troubleshoot signing in with a passkey