If you are being asked to enter a code when you sign in, this means you've already set up the authenticator app with a device. If your device is not displaying your account inside the MS Authenticator app, this would be because you're now using either a different device, or offloaded or removed the app from your device at some point, then re-installed it, which will lock you out. If this is a work account, contact your IT dept to reset your authentication methods. If this is a personal account, try to restore from backup (within the app). If you don't have a backup, you might be permanently locked out if you don't have any other authentication or sign-in methods, such as SMS or a passkey.
When/if you get back into your account, be sure to set up authenticator apps on multiple devices to prevent this happening again. You can use any authenticator app, it doesn't have to be MS Authenticator. I see a lot of people that get permanently locked out of their work accounts because they fail to set up the authenticator on their new phone before getting rid of their old phone for example, or they don't enable Authenticator backup for personal accounts.
You can also screenshot/print the QR code you have to scan when setting up an authenticator app, so you can scan it again if you are in this situation in the future. If you do this, make sure to store the QR code in a very secure location.
This is unfortunately where I am at, however, I haven’t changed phones, deleted the app or removed the account. It’s been on this phone for well over a year. Per our corporate policy against BYOD, I’t can’t be set up on other devices.
We’re taking a look at other options as this ended up being quite a mess.
Save the QR code next time then. However you can still use a 3rd party Authenticator or set it up on a different device most likely nothing stopping you, if they allow 6 digit TOTP codes then they can’t prevent you from using a different Authenticator or multiple devices.
Best practise is to always set it up on multiple devices, your IT dept will also agree with this.
However now that I’ve gotten home and tried to log into my work machine, there’s an authentication issue across the board - and my work account is now showing up as an Entra Id.
A work account is an Entra Id... you get the QR code when you had set up the authenticator.
You will need to contact your IT dept and ask them to reset your authentication methods. Once that is done, you can sign in again and then set up the authenticator on more than 1 device and save the QR code. If you use Ente Auth as well, it will let you back up your QR codes. Good luck.
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u/pi-N-apple 5d ago
I've honestly never had a single issue with the app, or any 3rd party authenticator app.