Authenticator

Please understand that as forum moderators, we do not have the tools or sufficient access to make changes to user accounts, including logging in, resetting passwords, or modifying access rights. For your security, only Microsoft Support can assist with these requests. However, I will do my best to guide you using publicly available documentation, research, and community experience.  

Hello @Emyr,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A Forum!  

To better understand your situation and guide you correctly, could you please confirm whether you are an end user or a global administrator of your Microsoft 365 tenant?  

The next steps will depend on your role:  

1. If you are an end user  

The quickest and most effective solution is to contact your organization’s IT administrator. They can revoke your current Multi‑Factor Authentication (MFA) settings and allow you to re‑register.   

You may share this official Microsoft article with them for detailed guidance: Manage authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication - Microsoft Entra ID |…    

2. If you are an administrator  

Please check whether there is another admin in your tenant. If so, they can reset your MFA configuration by:  

• Signing in to the Microsoft Entra Admin Center  
• Navigating to Users > Your Account > Authentication methods  
• Selecting Require re‑register MFA  

You will then be prompted to set up MFA again at your next login.  

3. If you are the only administrator  

In this case, you will need to contact Microsoft’s Data Protection team, who are authorized to verify your identity and reset MFA settings. Please call Microsoft Support using the appropriate regional hotline listed here: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support  

Here are some tips and an example of a prompt to help you navigate the IVR more effectively:   

(When you call the support number, you may hear an introduction of about 30 seconds such as "you can visit the link...". You can ignore this introduction and wait until you are presented with the options. Then press "1" as a business email user, and again "1" for technical help.)     

In some regions, the initial interaction may be automated, so here’s a general idea of how the conversation might go to help you prepare:       

• What kind of problem are you experiencing?          
• Answer: Authenticator          
• What products do you use?          
• Answer: Office 365 for business          
• Is this for an education or company account?          
• Answer: For companies          
• Are you an administrator?          
• Answer: Yes          
• Are there any other administrators in your organization?          
• Answer: No. I am the only admin in my tenant           
• Do you need a... Service request?           
• Answer: Yes. I need to create a ticket. Please send me direct to the Data Protection Teams.       

During the phone call, you will need to provide the information associated with your subscription, such as your company name, billing details, phone number, and an alternate email address, etc. This information allows the Data Protection team to verify your identity and securely assist you in regaining access to your administrator account.      

Could you please confirm which of the three cases applies to you? Once I have this information, I can guide you further and ensure you get the correct next steps.  

Thank you, and I look forward to your reply. 

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For locked-out work or school accounts that use Microsoft Authenticator and have no working second factor, the MFA methods must be reset by an administrator or by Microsoft support; this cannot be done by end users alone.

Actionable options based on the scenario:

1. If there is another admin on the tenant
   • Ask that admin to sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center and reset MFA for the locked-out accounts by using Require re-register multifactor authentication for those users. After that, sign-in will prompt to set up Authenticator again.
2. If the locked accounts are the only admin accounts
   • This is a tenant lockout scenario. Microsoft’s Data Protection team must verify identity and restore access.
   • Call Microsoft Support using the Customer service phone numbers for the UK listed in the official support page referenced in the context. When prompted by the automated system, clearly state that this is an Authenticator / MFA lockout for an Office 365 for business / Microsoft 365 for business tenant and that there is no other admin.
   • Ask the frontline agent to open a service request to the Data Protection team for a global admin MFA lockout.
   • Be prepared to provide tenant details (onmicrosoft domain, admin UPNs, business information) so they can verify identity.
3. If a partner/reseller manages the subscription
   • If the radio station’s Microsoft 365 subscription was purchased through a partner, contact that partner and ask them to open a Microsoft support ticket on your behalf for an admin MFA lockout.
4. If absolutely no way to open a ticket from the locked tenant
   • As a workaround described in similar cases, create a separate trial Microsoft 365 tenant, go to admin.microsoft.com → Support → Help & support, and open a ticket from there.
   • In the ticket, clearly state that the problem is with a different existing tenant (provide its domain and admin account) and that you are locked out due to MFA on those accounts.

There is no self-service phone number that will directly “reset MFA” for you; the correct path is to call the regional Microsoft Support number (for the UK, from the official customer service phone numbers list) and have a ticket escalated to the Data Protection team for MFA reset on the locked admin accounts.

References:

• I have a Micrsoft business account and I am the admin and the only user registered under this account. I can't log in because i have replaced my phone and the authenticator doesn't work. - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft authenticator sending me into a spiral - Microsoft Q&A
• Severity A Situation - Locked out of global admin account (MFA) - business down - Microsoft Q&A
• I need to reset my mfa methods - Microsoft Q&A
• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account