unable to recover my personal Hotmail account with mobile numbers (cannot use authenticator app)

Question

unable to recover my personal Hotmail account with mobile numbers (cannot use authenticator app)

Ravinder Dhar 0

i need to recover my personal Hotmail account (cannot use authenticator app), there is two way authentication on this account but i cannot use authenticator app, it has two mobiles numbers linked to it but they are not sending codes to mobile.

i have everything in this account and need to recover it badly, please help.

regards,

Ravinder

Ravinder Dhar 0 Reputation points

2026-08-17T08:57:33.6966667+00:00

Hi Again,

I need urgent help recovering access to my long-time Hotmail account .

I don't remember my password, l reset my mobile, my account has two-step verification (2FA) enabled, I can no longer approve by sign-ins or access recovery options. The system keeps asking for authentication through the app.

I do have two mobile numbers connected to hotmail account and when i request code thru mobile, it stop sending code now.

This email account is very old and is linked with several important platforms. I’ve already submitted multiple recovery requests using the account.live.com/acsr form, but I keep getting no response.

I understand Microsoft’s security policies; however, I’m hoping for some guidance or escalation from the support team or community experts on how to proceed when 2FA is enabled with access thru Authenticator lost, I do have mobiles connected to account.

Any advice, official process, or next steps would be deeply appreciated. This account is extremely important to me, and I am willing to provide verification details or identification proof to confirm ownership.

Thank you very much for your time and understanding.

regards,

Ravinder

1 answer

Your answer

Ravinder Dhar 0 Reputation points

2026-08-17T08:57:33.6966667+00:00

Hi Again,

I need urgent help recovering access to my long-time Hotmail account .

I don't remember my password, l reset my mobile, my account has two-step verification (2FA) enabled, I can no longer approve by sign-ins or access recovery options. The system keeps asking for authentication through the app.

I do have two mobile numbers connected to hotmail account and when i request code thru mobile, it stop sending code now.

This email account is very old and is linked with several important platforms. I’ve already submitted multiple recovery requests using the account.live.com/acsr form, but I keep getting no response.

I understand Microsoft’s security policies; however, I’m hoping for some guidance or escalation from the support team or community experts on how to proceed when 2FA is enabled with access thru Authenticator lost, I do have mobiles connected to account.

Any advice, official process, or next steps would be deeply appreciated. This account is extremely important to me, and I am willing to provide verification details or identification proof to confirm ownership.

Thank you very much for your time and understanding.

regards,

Ravinder

Answer 1

If two-step verification is turned on and none of the alternate verification methods can be used, support agents cannot bypass it, send reset links, or change account details.

Use this recovery path:

Try the Sign-in Helper first.
If the account sign-in page shows Use a different verification method, select it and check whether another method is available.
If available, complete one verification step, then choose the option indicating that none of the remaining methods are available and follow the prompts.
If the sign-in flow offers I don't have any of these or a similar option, start the security info replacement process and add a new email address or phone number that can be accessed.
If that process is started successfully, a 30-day waiting period may apply before the new security info can be used.

Important limits:

If the mobile numbers are not receiving codes, avoid excessive or repetitive code requests because that can temporarily block code delivery.
Verification SMS may fail if the phone blocks texts from unknown numbers, the inbox is full, the messaging app is malfunctioning, or the number is a VOIP number.
If the lost phone had Microsoft Authenticator and there is no access to any backup account or alternate verification method, the accounts may need to be added again after access is restored.
If unable to restore Authenticator account credentials because the backup account cannot be accessed, support cannot help with that recovery.

For the phone-code issue specifically, check:

the phone can receive texts from unknown numbers
the SMS inbox is not full
the number entered is correct
the number is a mobile number, not VOIP
junk/spam filtering is not affecting email-based codes if email is also offered

If the account is offered as locked and the Next option does not appear during sign-in, use the aka.ms/ link shown in that sign-in window and submit the reinstatement form shown there. After submission, wait for the review email and do not submit repeated requests.