How to fix my Authenticator

Thomas Collingridge 0 Reputation points
2026-09-02T18:14:40.7533333+00:00

I logon to the app. I go to my university account and it says with a red warning ‘to sign in to add your account’. I then proceed to try and sign in. It then says to verify identity but immediately says “Sorry, we're having trouble verifying your account. Please try again.” Bit of an endless loop. Need help immediately.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Subscription, account, billing | For business | Other
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  1. Hendrix 990 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-02T21:01:33.7533333+00:00

    Hi Thomas,

    From what you've described, since you're currently stuck in a sign-in loop, your Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) setup may need to be reset. Because you're using a school account, the MFA settings are managed by your organization's IT administrator. Unfortunately, this isn't something that can be reset from the user side.

    Please ask your school's administrator to follow the steps outlined in the guide below to revoke existing MFA sessions and require re-registration Manage authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication - Microsoft Entra ID. This process usually only takes a couple of minutes.

    Once your IT administrator resets your MFA registration, you should be able to sign in again and go through the Microsoft Authenticator setup process from the beginning, including scanning a new QR code on your device. 

    If you are unsure who your IT administrator is, you can refer to this official Microsoft guide for assistance: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support.

    I hope this points you in the right direction. If you receive any updates from your IT team or run into any issues along the way, feel free to reply back with more details, and I'll be happy to help further. 

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-02T18:14:58.7733333+00:00

    For a university account, this usually means the work or school account’s MFA registration or verification state is broken, or the sign-in is being blocked by policy.

    Try these steps in order:

    1. In Microsoft Authenticator, make sure the app is updated to the latest version.
    2. On the phone, check that:
      • notifications are enabled for Authenticator
      • the phone has internet access; if on mobile data, try Wi‑Fi, and vice versa
      • Airplane mode is off
      • the device date and time are correct
      • battery optimization is turned off for Authenticator
    3. Open Authenticator and confirm the app opens normally and the university account tile is present.
    4. If the app shows the account but keeps failing verification, try signing in again after a short wait. Repeated sign-in attempts can trigger protection that temporarily blocks more attempts.
    5. If available on the sign-in screen, use another MFA method instead of Authenticator.
    6. Check the security info page for the account and confirm whether Authenticator is registered: https://mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info
    7. If Authenticator is not properly registered, add it again from the Security info page by choosing Add sign-in method > Microsoft Authenticator.
    8. If the app shows an error like needing setup in a browser, complete registration at https://aka.ms/mfasetup.

    If the loop continues, the fix usually requires the university IT administrator to reset or re-register MFA for the account. This is the standard path for school-managed accounts when Authenticator cannot verify the account or the app is stuck in a sign-in loop.

    Also contact the university IT admin immediately if either of these applies:

    • the message says sign-in may be restricted by the admin
    • many failed attempts were made and sign-in is now blocked

    Before contacting support, send app logs from Authenticator: open the app menu and select Send feedback.

    References:

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

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