Authenticator unable to restore account from backup

Sandor Szabo 0 Reputation points
2026-05-18T17:32:21.4133333+00:00

Hello.

I noticed the authenticator was not working, and push-up notifications were not showing on my Android phone.

A few weeks ago, I made a backup and logged in on a new phone, no issue.

This time, I have deleted the app from my device and tried to load my account from the backup.

I log in and try to finish setting up the account, and receive an error message " An error occurred. Please send us the logs using the send logs function. "

I tried it multiple times and even installed the authenticator on my tablet. No luck, same fault.

Is anybody working on this issue?

Please help, I am logged out everywhere.

Sándor

Microsoft Security | Microsoft Authenticator
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  1. AI answer

    2026-05-18T17:32:35.2766667+00:00

    Based on the documented behavior, when Microsoft Authenticator cannot restore from backup, the only supported options are:

    1. Verify the correct restore flow on Android
      • Before signing in to any account tile, open Authenticator and select Restore from backup (or Begin recovery) on the first screen.
      • If already signed in, sign out of all accounts in Authenticator first, then start the restore again. Guidance is in How to sign out from Authenticator (linked from the docs).
      • Sign in using the same personal Microsoft account that was used when the backup was created.
    2. Check what actually restores
      • Microsoft personal accounts
        • If they used only a 30‑second one-time password code, those codes should be available once restore succeeds.
        • If they used passwordless sign-in, only the account name is restored; sign-in must be completed again on each account.
      • Work or school accounts
        • Only the account name is restored; each must be signed in again.
      • 3rd‑party accounts (Amazon, Facebook, Gmail, etc.)
        • Only the 30‑second one-time password codes are restored.
    3. If “Restore from backup” is missing
      • Remove or sign out of all accounts in Authenticator so that Restore from backup / Begin recovery appears again on first launch, then repeat the restore steps.
    4. If restore still fails
      • If the backup account itself cannot be accessed, support cannot restore the Authenticator data. Use the Microsoft account sign-in helper to regain access to the backup Microsoft account, then try restore again.
      • If restore fails for other reasons (such as the error seen), the documented path is to add each account again manually following the normal “add account” flow for each service.
    5. If locked out of a work/school tenant as the only admin
      • When Authenticator cannot be used and there is no other admin to reset MFA, the Microsoft Data Protection team must be engaged via a support ticket or phone support, as described in the referenced Q&A threads. They can verify identity and help regain access to the tenant.

    Because the error message mentions sending logs, ensure logs are sent from the app as requested so the product team can investigate, but operationally the immediate recovery options are limited to: correct restore flow, regaining access to the backup Microsoft account, or re-adding accounts and working with tenant support if this is a business/tenant admin lockout.

    References:

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