Two factor authentication codes

Hi James Iliffe,

Thank you for querying in Microsoft QA

According to your description, you cannot sign into the Authenticator app because it asks to retrieve the code from the app itself.

It seems like you had added your account in the Authenticator app in previous. Later you may remove the account from the Authenticator app and your account is no longer added in the app now.

May I know if my understanding of the scenario is consistent with yours?

If yes, I also tested from my side. I found that once I add my account to the Authenticator app and then remove the account from the app, in this situation, if I want to add the account back by signing in the account via Add account>choose work or school account, it will ask to verify my identity, as shown below.

But since I haven't signed in the Authenticator app, I'm afraid the first option "Approve a request on my Microsoft Authenticator app" and the second option "Use a verification code from my mobile app" are not available.

So I chose the third option Text xxxxx which can send code to my phone. I received a text message with code and used the code to finish verifying my identity and then added the account to Authenticator app successfully.

May I know if you also saw the screen above and do you have the third option "Text xxxx*(your phone number)*"?

If yes, you may try the third option and check if you can sign in and add your account to the Authenticator app.

However, if you don't have the third option and cannot receive verification code by text message, we are very sorry for the inconvenience caused at your end. In this situation, you need to contact your Microsoft 365 admin to help you disable Multi-factor authentication for your account. Then re-enable Multi-factor authentication for your account.

You may need to reinstall the Authenticator app and then set up the Microsoft Authenticator app again.

For your reference: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin?

If above scenario is not consistent with yours, feel free to post back and point it out.

Appreciate your patience and understanding. Hope you have a safe and happy new year!

Best regards,

Jose Benjamin

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