Unable to authenticate on the Authenticate app.

To regain access when the Microsoft Authenticator app was wiped and other methods fail, the only supported options are:

1. Try all alternative verification methods again
   On the sign-in screen, when asked for the Authenticator code:
   • Select I don't have access to my Microsoft Authenticator app.
   • When prompted for other methods (SMS, email, phone call, recovery code), carefully choose a method that still works and complete it.
   • If SMS or email is not arriving, follow the guidance in “I'm not getting my verification code. What do I do?”:
     • Avoid making excessive repeated requests.
     • Check if the phone blocks texts from unknown numbers and that the number is a mobile (not VOIP).
     • Check junk mail for codes from @accountprotection.microsoft.com.
     • Verify that the phone number or email shown (masked) is actually yours.
2. If still signed in somewhere, update security info
   If there is any device (PC, browser session, etc.) where the account is still signed in:
   • Go to the Security info page for the work or school account and add or update a working method (phone, email, or new Authenticator).
   • Once a working method is added, use it to complete sign-in and then re-register the Authenticator app using the security info wizard: scan the QR code and approve the test notification as described in “Set up your security info using the wizard”.
3. If this is a work or school account and no method works
   • Contact the organization’s Help desk or Microsoft 365/Entra administrator and request an MFA reset / Require re-register multifactor authentication.
   • The admin can clear the MFA methods; at next sign-in, the setup wizard will run again so Authenticator and a phone method can be configured from scratch.
4. If this is a business tenant and you are the only admin
   • Use the guidance from the referenced Q&A threads: contact Microsoft via the Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support line and request the Data Protection team to help reset the admin’s MFA, clearly stating that this is the only global admin account and it is locked behind Authenticator.
5. If no alternative method works and no admin/help desk is available
   • For work or school accounts, support agents cannot bypass verification or send codes directly. If none of the registered methods (Authenticator, SMS, email, recovery code) work and there is no admin to reset MFA, access cannot be restored through self-service; escalation via the organization’s admin or Microsoft Data Protection (for sole admins) is required.

Once access is restored by any of the paths above, immediately:

• Add at least one backup method (SMS or phone call) in Security info.
• Complete the Authenticator setup wizard again so the app is re-linked to the account on the current phone.

References:

• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
• Set up Security info from a sign-in page
• Troubleshoot problems with Microsoft Authenticator
• Authentication did not complete
• 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
• I need to reset my mfa methods - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft authenticator sending me into a spiral - Microsoft Q&A
• Requesting a Tenant Admin MFA Reset - Microsoft Q&A