Forum Discussion
[Urgent]: Locked out of Azure Portal - GitHub Login Loop & Authenticator 6-digit vs 8-digit Mismatch
I am writing this out of frustration as I have been locked out of my Azure web portal (azure.com) for a long time.
I normally log in via GitHub, but something seems to have changed regarding the admin settings or 2FA requirements. I am now stuck at the Microsoft Authenticator verification step. The major issue is that my Authenticator app shows an 8-digit PIN, but the Azure login screen requires a 6-digit PIN. I also do not receive any push notifications/pop-ups on my phone, despite being logged into the correct account in the app.
Key Details:
This is a personal account.
My login works perfectly on accounts.microsoft.com and the Azure Mobile App.
I cannot use the web portal, which is preventing me from managing my servers.
I have a VM that frequently runs out of memory (OOM) and needs an immediate upgrade and a new IP address—tasks I cannot do from the mobile app.
I cannot open a support ticket because I can't log in. I contacted pre-sales support two months ago; they promised an engineer would email me within 7 days, but I never heard back. Please help me regain access to my account.
You are currently unable to access the Azure portal due to a mismatch between the authentication method configured in Microsoft Authenticator and the portal’s requirements. Specifically, the Authenticator app is generating 8‑digit codes associated with a personal Microsoft account, while the Azure portal requires 6‑digit TOTP codes linked to a work or school (Azure AD/Entra ID) account. This discrepancy is a recognized issue and may result in a tenant lockout if you are the sole administrator. The official resolution is to re‑register Microsoft Authenticator under the correct identity.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/2237947/azure-wants-6-digits-code-but-authenticator-genera
2 Replies
You are currently unable to access the Azure portal due to a mismatch between the authentication method configured in Microsoft Authenticator and the portal’s requirements. Specifically, the Authenticator app is generating 8‑digit codes associated with a personal Microsoft account, while the Azure portal requires 6‑digit TOTP codes linked to a work or school (Azure AD/Entra ID) account. This discrepancy is a recognized issue and may result in a tenant lockout if you are the sole administrator. The official resolution is to re‑register Microsoft Authenticator under the correct identity.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/2237947/azure-wants-6-digits-code-but-authenticator-genera
Thanks for the reply. I have tried your suggestions, but the issue persists:
App Version: I verified that my Microsoft Authenticator is the latest version (checked on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store).
Re-login: I read the thread you linked (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/2237947...). I tried signing out and signing back into the Authenticator app, but it still generates an 8-digit PIN, while the Azure portal continues to ask for a 6-digit PIN.
Security Info Error: I attempted to access aka.ms/mysecurityinfo to check my settings. However, it blocked me with an error stating that the page "only supports Work or School accounts" and that I am using a "Personal account."
Note: This is the only Microsoft account I have. It is the exact same account I am currently using on the Azure Mobile App on my iPhone, where I can see my two server instances running without issue.
I am essentially back to square one: I am a Personal account user who is locked out of the web portal because it demands a Work/School authentication method (6-digit) that I cannot provide.
Since I cannot open a ticket myself, please help me escalate this to a department that can handle account lockout issues. I have no other way to reach them.
