Lost my phone , lost access to Authenticator

Ajay Christopher 0 Reputation points
2026-07-19T09:03:02.9833333+00:00

Hello,

I'm in a bit of a difficult situation and hoping you can help.

I lost my phone few days ago and (i screwed up) it contained both my Microsoft authenticator app and my password manager(bitwarden). I still remember my password manager password but I can't access it because I can't get past it because it send the TFA code to my mail (which im unable to login to)

For 2FA, I had two verification methods configured on my Microsoft account (hotmail.com)

  1. Microsoft Authenticator
  2. Phone number (SMS)

Since I no longer have access to the Authenticator app, I tried using the phone number option instead. However, after entering the SMS code, I receive the message:

"Try another verification method"

"That verification method isn't working right now. Please try another method."

I do have access to the phone number and I enter the correct number so I'm not sure why the verification is failing.

I also filled the Microsoft account recovery Form and provided information such as previous passwords and recent account activity. Unfortunately, the recovery request was rejected which i got it confirmed on mail and it mentioned the reason cause it has 2 factor authentication enabled.

At this point, I'm completely locked out of the account:

I don't have access to Microsoft Authenticator because the phone was lost.

The SMS verification method is not working even though I have access to the phone number.

The account recovery process was unsuccessful.

I'm also unable to contact support through the normal channels because they require me to sign in first, which I cannot do.

Could you please advise if there are any additional recovery options available? I'm happy to provide any information needed to verify that I am the owner of the account.

Thank you for your help.

Microsoft Security | Microsoft Authenticator
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