I lost access to Microsoft Authenticator app and Admin Portal

Danish Pervaiz 20 Reputation points
2026-06-11T08:41:38.2066667+00:00

Hello Everyone,
I lost access to Admin Portal, Authenticator app and unable to login, tried everything but this issue is something i am unable to tackle.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Subscription, account, billing | For business | Android
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Answer accepted by question author
Michelle-N 20,735 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-06-11T09:18:09.73+00:00

I would like to first clarify that this is a user-to-user support forum, and we are not Microsoft support. Moderators here do not have backend access and cannot directly intervene in Microsoft products or perform escalations. We can only provide technical guidance and best-practice recommendations based on reported issues.

Hi @Danish Pervaiz

Because this involves a specific business tenant and strict account security, this circular authentication loop cannot be resolved publicly in this forum, as we do not have access to your organization's backend settings.

To break this loop and regain access, please follow these recommended steps:

  1. Contact your Internal IT Administrator

Since this is a business account, your company's IT Helpdesk or Global Administrator has the power to fix this instantly. You will need to ask them to reset your Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) settings.

To help them understand exactly what needs to be done, you can share the following official Microsoft guide with your IT admin: Manage authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication - Microsoft Entra ID |….  After that, you should be able to register Microsoft Authenticator again on your new phone from scratch 

If you are the only Global Administrator and you are completely locked out from the tenant. You might need to contact Microsoft Support via phone service number: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support. The agent will be able to create a ticket for you under the affected tenant and then transfer this ticket to Data Protection team who could help you to regain access. From what I know, you will need to get past the initial AI system to reach the live support team. You can refer to the guide below for tips on how to get through more easily:User's image

If this method is not working, please follow this link to create a trial tenant: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/business/microsoft-365-business-basic?msockid=3eb6980b5c6860e63a588d0c5d1761d6 - after that you will be able to access to Microsoft 365 Admin Center to raise the ticket

Assuming that you have already created an account after registering a free trial and you can go to Microsoft 365 admin center and click "Help & support" icon to raise your ticket. The agent will be able to create a ticket for you under the affected tenant and then transfer this ticket to Data Protection team who could help you to regain access.     User's image

User's image

Please mention that you are raising ticket on behalf of the affected tenant that you do not have access to. The support team will help you to create ticket on the affected tenant then later on the Microsoft Data Protection team will assist you.

Note: This process will take more time than usual (7-14 working days) for your account to get access again as Data Protection is always overwhelmed with the number of tickets. As I am forum moderator, I do not have access to Microsoft internal system to assist or push this process to be quicker.

On the other hand, if you do create the trial and it resolves the issue, please remember to cancel the subscription afterward to avoid any related charges. 

I hope my information is helpful. Please give me any updates once you get this resolved.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

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  1. AI answer

    2026-06-11T08:41:55.0233333+00:00

    Because access to both the Microsoft Authenticator app and the Admin Portal is lost, recovery depends on whether any other verification or admin options still exist.

    Follow these steps in order:

    1. Try other MFA/sign-in methods (if configured)
      • If SMS, email, or a security key was set up as an additional method, use it instead of Authenticator.
      • For personal Microsoft accounts, sign in to the Advanced security options page and add a new method if at least one existing method still works, then remove the old one on the lost device. See:
        • Security → Advanced security options → Add a new way to sign in or verify, then remove the old phone/app once the new method is confirmed.
    2. If locked out because Authenticator “did not complete”
      • Ensure the app is updated, unlocked, and notifications are enabled, and that the device has a working network connection and correct date/time.
      • If the password is forgotten, use the password reset flow: Reset your password.
    3. If this is a work/school (Microsoft Entra / M365) account and sign-in is blocked by MFA
      • If there are other admins in the tenant, ask another global admin to reset MFA for the affected account from the Admin Center.
      • If you are the only admin and cannot get past MFA, Microsoft’s Data Protection team must assist:
        • Call the appropriate number from Customer service phone numbers and navigate the IVR to reach a live agent. Clearly state that you are the only admin and are locked out due to Authenticator/MFA and need a tenant admin MFA reset by the Data Protection team.
        • If reaching support by phone is not possible, create a temporary trial Microsoft 365 tenant, sign in to its Admin Center, and open a support ticket from there requesting Data Protection assistance for the original tenant. Provide the locked tenant’s domain, admin UPN, and error details. Cancel the trial after the issue is resolved.
    4. If you still have access on another device/browser
      • For a personal Microsoft account, sign in where access still works, go to Security → Advanced security options, and remove the old Authenticator-based method (for example, under “Send sign-in notification” for the old device). Add a new method (new Authenticator, SMS, email) before removing the old one.
    5. If all security info is lost for a personal Microsoft account
      • Start sign-in, choose I don't have any of these at the “Verify your identity” step, and follow the flow to replace security info.
      • After replacement, there is a mandatory 30‑day wait before full sign-in is restored.

    If none of the above works and there is no remaining verification method or admin available, only Microsoft support (via the Data Protection process for tenants, or the account recovery process for personal accounts) can restore access.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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