How to Reset Microsoft Authenticator

To reset Microsoft Authenticator, first make sure you can verify each account another way, then remove the old registration before clearing the app. After the Microsoft Authenticator reset, add each account again with a new QR setup code.

What should you do before resetting Microsoft Authenticator?

Resetting Microsoft Authenticator removes accounts from the app and stops that device from approving sign-ins. It does not delete the online accounts themselves, and removing an account from the app does not automatically remove the device from the account’s security settings.

Before you reset the Microsoft Authenticator app, have these items ready:

• Access to the email address, phone, security key, recovery code, or other verification method registered with each account.
• A second screen, such as a computer or tablet, on which to display QR setup codes.
• The current Authenticator device, if it still works.
• Help-desk contact information for any work or school account controlled by an organization.

If cloud backup was enabled, recovery may restore some credentials. Backup and recovery must use the same device type: an iOS backup cannot be restored on Android, or an Android backup on iOS. Work or school accounts and passwordless personal accounts still require sign-in after restoration.

How do you reset the Microsoft Authenticator app?

Microsoft’s reset procedure removes all app data. Use the instructions for the phone’s operating system.

On Android:

1. Open the phone’s Settings app and select Apps.
2. Select Authenticator.
3. Select Storage or Storage & cache.
4. Select Clear data, then confirm.

On iOS:

1. Open the iPhone’s Settings app.
2. Select General, then iPhone Storage.
3. Select Authenticator.
4. Select Offload App.

There is no undo after app data is removed. If you only need to reset one Microsoft Authenticator account, open that account in Authenticator, select the settings gear, and choose Remove account instead.

For anyone asking how to reset Microsoft Authenticator on a new phone, install the current app from the device’s official app store. Before signing in, select Restore from backup or Begin recovery if a backup exists. Sign in with the personal Microsoft account used as the recovery account, then complete any “Sign in to restore” or “Action required” prompts.

How do you remove the old Authenticator method?

Deleting or clearing the app does not tell Microsoft or an organization to stop sending approvals to the old device. Remove the outdated registration from the account separately.

1. Sign in to the account using a working verification method.
2. For a personal Microsoft account, open its Security area and select Manage how I sign in.
3. For a work or school account, open the Security info area of the organization’s account portal.
4. Find the Microsoft Authenticator entry associated with the unavailable device and remove it.
5. Keep at least one working sign-in method registered while making the change.

If the old device was lost or stolen, notify the organization’s help desk for a work or school account. Adding Authenticator to a new phone does not automatically unregister the old phone.

How do you set up Microsoft Authenticator again?

A QR code is a square setup image that securely connects Authenticator to an account. Display the QR code on a device other than the phone running Authenticator.

1. Sign in to the account’s security settings and choose Add a new way to sign in, Add sign-in method, or the comparable option.
2. Select Microsoft Authenticator or Use an app.
3. Continue until the account displays a QR code.
4. Open Authenticator, select the plus icon, and choose Personal account, Work or school account, or Other account as appropriate.
5. Select Scan a QR Code and allow camera access if prompted.
6. Scan the code. If scanning is unavailable, use the manual-code option offered on both screens.
7. Complete the test approval or enter the displayed verification code to finish registration.

Do not close the setup screen until verification succeeds. After you reset Authenticator app access for Microsoft, confirm that the new device receives an approval before removing any remaining backup method.

How can you reset Microsoft Authenticator without the old phone?

If another verification method appears during sign-in, select the option to sign in another way and use that method. Once signed in, remove the unavailable Authenticator registration and add the new phone.

For a personal Microsoft account protected by two-step verification, Microsoft Support cannot replace an unavailable verification method or bypass multifactor authentication. If no alternate method is accessible, support agents cannot change the account details. The Microsoft account Sign-in Helper can diagnose sign-in problems, but it cannot override two-step verification.

For a work or school account, contact the organization’s help desk. An authorized administrator can clear authentication settings or require multifactor authentication registration again. The next sign-in then prompts the user to set up a new method.

What should you do when Authenticator prompts or codes fail?

• Missing approval prompt: unlock Authenticator, turn on notifications, leave Airplane Mode off, and confirm that the phone has a network connection. Check whether the request went to an old registered device.
• Rejected verification code: use the newest code shown for the correct account and set the phone’s date and time automatically. Codes refresh regularly and can be used without cellular service.
• Restore failure: confirm that the backup and new phone use the same operating-system family and that the correct recovery account was selected. Work or school accounts normally require sign-in again.
• Setup loop: remove the incomplete account entry, update Authenticator and the phone, restart the device, and begin with a newly displayed QR code.
• Work-account registration error: contact the organization’s administrator because device, location, or authentication policies may block registration.

How do you contact Microsoft Support about an Authenticator reset?

Open {site} and search for Microsoft Authenticator support to use Microsoft’s verified help options. In Authenticator, the Send feedback option can provide diagnostic information for persistent app errors.

Microsoft Support can troubleshoot the app and personal-account sign-in tools, but it cannot bypass multifactor authentication or alter protected account details. For a work or school account, the organization’s administrator or help desk must reset authentication methods when the user cannot reach the Security info settings.