Share via

How to use Authenticator app when a Devi e is lost

Wendi Davis 0 Reputation points
2025-12-15T23:55:22.65+00:00

My husband lost his phone and when trying to add his email to his new phone…. The Authenticator app is asking for a QR code on the device we don’t have. We have tried “select other” ways to log in but it comes back to this option. Any ideas?

Moved from Microsoft 365 and Office | Access | For business | Windows

Microsoft 365 and Office | Subscription, account, billing | For business | Other
0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
  1. AlexDN 7,590 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-12-16T01:41:32.98+00:00

    Dear @Wendi Davis,
    Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum. I understand your husband lost his phone, and now the Microsoft Authenticator app on the new device is asking for a QR code from the old phone which you no longer have.

    Could you please confirm whether his email account is a Business (Work/School) Microsoft 365 account or a Personal Microsoft Account (Outlook.com/Hotmail)?

    If it’s a Business (Work/School) Account:

    I recommend him contact his IT admin/Global admin to raise a request for resetting his authentication method in the Entra admin center. Admin can revoke MFA sessions and require re-registration in Microsoft Entra admin center.

    Picture

    For step-by-step details, refer to the official Microsoft documentation: Manage authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication - Microsoft Entra ID | Microsoft Learn  

    If it’s a Personal Microsoft Account:

    Visit https://aka.ms/recoveraccount to recover access and follow the recovery guidance.

    Ensure your device’s date and time are set automatically, and the Authenticator app is up to date.

    Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.

    I truly appreciate your patience and understanding. If you have any further questions or need further clarification, please feel free to reach out. I'm looking forward to hearing from you. 

    Thank you for your cooperation.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment". 

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

    0 comments

1 additional answer

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Q&A Assist
    2025-12-15T23:55:30.0266667+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    If your husband has lost his phone and is trying to set up the Authenticator app on a new device, he may need to recover his account using alternative methods. Here are some steps he can take:

    1. Use Backup Codes: If he had set up backup codes when he configured two-factor authentication, he can use one of those codes to log in.
    2. Account Recovery: Go to the Microsoft account recovery page and follow the prompts to recover the account. This may involve verifying his identity through email or SMS if those options were set up previously.
    3. Reinstall Authenticator: If he has access to his Microsoft account through another method (like email), he can reinstall the Authenticator app on his new phone and then use the recovery options provided by Microsoft.
    4. Contact Support: If none of the above options work, he may need to contact Microsoft support for further assistance in recovering access to his account.

    It's important to ensure that any recovery methods used are secure and that he has access to the necessary recovery information.

    References:

    0 comments

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.