Locked out of Outlook App

If Microsoft Authenticator is not completing sign-in, use this order of checks:

1. Unlock Microsoft Authenticator on the phone.
   • If the app is locked, the entry box or approval prompt may not appear.
2. Check notifications for Microsoft Authenticator.
   • Make sure notifications are enabled and not silenced.
   • Also check for authentication codes that may have arrived silently by text message.
3. Update Microsoft Authenticator.
   • An outdated app version can prevent authentication from completing.
   • Install the latest version if available.
4. Check connectivity.
   • Make sure the phone has internet access.
   • Switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data and try again.
5. Verify date and time on the device.
   • Incorrect device date/time settings can cause authentication failures.
6. If Outlook mobile is repeatedly prompting for sign-in, install the latest Outlook mobile app version.
   • Recurring password prompts can happen after security standards are updated.
7. If this is a work or school account and self-service password reset is enabled, use the reset option:
   • Reset password
   • If self-service reset is not allowed, the IT admin must help.
8. If sign-in is blocked or verification keeps failing, use the Microsoft sign-in helper:
   • Start
9. If none of the above works:
   • For a personal Microsoft account, send Authenticator logs from the app: top-level menu > Send feedback, then contact Support.
   • For a work or school account, send logs the same way, then reach out to the IT admin.

If the issue is an approval loop because the registered Authenticator method is no longer usable, a work or school account requires the organization’s IT administrator to reset MFA or require re-registration of authentication methods.