Forum Discussion
Authenticator App
I have recently broken my phone and need to reset my password for outlook.
Every time I try, it keeps asking me to confirm code on authenticator, which I am unable to do as I cannot log in.
Is there anyway I can bypass this or have my authenticator reset?
6 Replies
Hi Aimee95
Simple user Account recovery for personal account. use the below link.
https://account.live.com/password/reset
For Work/school account you can request to disable use of Authenticator though administrator and utilize alternative methods provided you have added alternate methods of verification. In this case utilize SSPR and configure again the authenticator app.
https://passwordreset.microsoftonline.com/
Ensure the next time you install authenticator enable the cloud backup to restore the credentials.
If you find the answer useful, please do not forget to like and mark it as a solution 🙂
thanks Aimee95 for the response. kindly mark it solved if you are fine.
hi Aimee95 This is a common situation but unfortunately, you can’t bypass the Authenticator step directly for security reasons. That’s by design in Microsoft Authenticator. hope below will help.
What you can do depends on what recovery options you still have:
Try alternative verification methods:
When prompted, click “I can’t use my Microsoft Authenticator app right now” and see if you’re offered:
- SMS code
- Alternate email
- Backup verification methods
If any of these are set up, you can reset your password that way.
Use account recovery
If no other methods work:
- Go to the Microsoft account recovery page
- Fill in the recovery form with as much detail as possible
This is the main path for personal accounts.
If this is a work/school account
You’ll need to contact your IT admin:
- Ask them to reset MFA / re-register authentication methods
- They can remove the old Authenticator registration so you can set it up again on a new device
For next time (important tip)
Once you regain access:
- Enable multiple verification methods (phone + email)
- Turn on Authenticator backup (iCloud/Google backup)
The SMS service is temporarily not working, I have been waiting since more than 10 days and trying almost every day if the service started working, is there any other way to get the code ? I have two options only 1st is email and 2nd is SMS to mobile number, as I forget the password so I wanted the email code is used to password reset and because 2 step verification is turned on, so 2nd code also required to get in and actually change the password, and SMS service is not working since days. I am stuck !
hi kamal313 That’s a really frustrating situation , I’ve seen a few people run into this when one of the MFA methods stops working.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to skip the SMS step if it’s part of your 2-step verification. Even if you reset the password using email, Microsoft will still ask for the second factor before letting you fully sign in.
At this point, your best option is to try the account recovery process and select something like “I can’t use these verification methods” if it shows up. Fill in as much detail as you can previous passwords, contacts, subjects, anything that proves it’s your account.
You can also try signing in from a device or browser you’ve used before, sometimes that reduces the verification prompts, though it’s not guaranteed.
If SMS hasn’t worked for 10+ days, it’s probably not a temporary glitch anymore, so waiting may not help much. Microsoft support can be contacted, but just to set expectations they usually won’t bypass MFA and will point you back to recovery.
Not ideal, I know… but recovery form + trying from a trusted device is really the best path forward here.
