A Microsoft app for iOS and Android devices that enables authentication with two-factor verification, phone sign-in, and code generation
Because the only admin’s phone with Microsoft Authenticator is lost and sign-in always requires that authenticator, the tenant is effectively locked out and must be recovered by Microsoft’s Data Protection team. This cannot be fixed from the normal sign-in or self-service flows.
Use these steps, depending on whether there is any other global admin:
- Check if there is another global admin
- If any other global administrator exists in the tenant, that admin must sign in and reset the affected admin’s MFA methods from the Microsoft Entra/Microsoft 365 admin portals.
- If no other global admin exists (only the boss’s account), proceed to step 2.
- Contact Microsoft Data Protection team via global support
- Call the appropriate number from the global customer service phone list: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support.
- When the IVR/agent asks about the problem, clearly state that:
- This is an Authenticator / MFA issue.
- The product is Office 365 / Microsoft 365 for business.
- It is a company (work) account, not personal.
- The locked account is the only global admin for the tenant.
- The admin’s phone with Microsoft Authenticator was lost and MFA cannot be completed.
- Ask them to create a service request to the Data Protection team to reset the admin’s authentication methods and restore access.
- If phone support is difficult to reach: create a temporary trial tenant to open a ticket
- Sign up for a new Microsoft 365 trial tenant (a separate environment) using the public Microsoft 365 Business/Enterprise trial page.
- In the new tenant, go to the Microsoft 365 admin center → Support → Help & support.
- Open a support ticket explaining:
- The issue is with a different existing tenant (Raya Workforce’s tenant).
- Provide the locked tenant’s domain and the global admin UPN.
- State that the only global admin is locked out due to lost Authenticator and MFA cannot be completed.
- Request escalation to the Data Protection team for tenant admin MFA reset / account recovery.
- This trial tenant is only a channel to contact support; it does not give access to the original tenant’s data.
- Prepare verification information
- Be ready to provide business documentation and proof that Raya Workforce owns the tenant and that the locked account is the legitimate global admin (support may ask for this).
Once the Data Protection team verifies ownership, they can reset the admin’s MFA methods so that a new phone/authenticator can be registered and normal access to the admin account is restored.
References:
- Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school 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
- Severity A Situation - Locked out of global admin account (MFA) - business down - Microsoft Q&A
- Requesting a Tenant Admin MFA Reset - Microsoft Q&A