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unable to login to anything

Stev 0 Reputation points
2025-12-05T16:04:01.5266667+00:00

I can’t log in to my Microsoft 365 account, Outlook, or anything else. My company uses Microsoft, and this has been incredibly frustrating. I’m trying to set up my work email on my new phone, but it keeps telling me to “approve the request” through the Outlook mobile app. The problem is that I can’t log in to the Outlook app in the first place, so I have no way to approve anything.

The same thing happens when I try signing into Microsoft 365—it asks me to approve a code on the app, but I can’t access the app to do that. I got a new phone and no longer have my old one, so I’m completely stuck. I can’t work until I’m able to log in, and text verification isn’t an option. The only method it gives me is to approve a sign-in through a mobile device that I can’t access.

I’m going in circles at this point and really need help getting back into my account.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneNote | For business | iOS
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  1. Lia V 6,540 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-12-05T18:39:55.3133333+00:00

    Hi @Stev,

    Thank you for posting on Microsoft Q&A forum and I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble logging into your Microsoft account. 

    This issue often happens when your Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) settings need to be updated after switching to a new device. Right now, your account is still linked to your previous device for verification, which is why you’re not able to complete the sign-in process. Since the new device hasn’t been set up for MFA yet, the system is trying to confirm your identity using the old device.

    Regarding your situation, please kindly follow these steps to help regain access to your work account.

    1/ If you're an admin or an end-user in your organization, please check to see if there are other IT admins in your organization who can help you with the reset MFA for your account and share with them the steps outlined in the article Manage user authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication. This will help them assist you in resetting your MFA settings and restoring access to your account.

    2/ If you're the only admin, in this situation, the Microsoft Data Protection Team has tools and processes in place to verify identity and regain access to administrator accounts. You can try reaching out to our Global Customer Service phone to raise a request for resetting your authentication method here: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support.

    Please note that forum moderators do not have access to user account settings and cannot assist with logging in, resetting passwords, or changing access rights. While we do not have access to internal systems or administrative tools required to resolve account-specific or backend-related issues, we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities.   

    Here are some tips and an example of a prompt to help you navigate the IVR more effectively:     

    IVR: What kind of problem are you concerned about?    

    You: Authenticator.    

    A: What products do you use?

    B: Office 365 for business.

    Verification: Education or company account?

    B: For companies

    A: Are you an administrator?

    B: Yes.

    A: Are there any other administrators in your organization?

    B: No.

    IVR: Do you need a... Service request? 

    You: Yes. I need to create a ticket. Please send me directly to the Data Protection Team.

    3/ As an alternative, you can create a new tenant account and submit your request from there. 

    To set up a new tenant, please follow these steps:

    Visit Microsoft 365 Business Plans and Pricing | Microsoft 365. This would allow you to create a new tenant following the prompts provided. Once set up, you can access the admin console of the new tenant and submit a support ticket requesting to speak with the Data Protection team on behalf of your previous tenant. 

    Follow the guided setup process to create a new account for a new tenant.

    Once your tenant is created, you should be able to access the support portal and submit your ticket referencing your locked account without further issues.

    In your ticket description, you'll need to clearly explain that you're trying to regain access to your previous Microsoft 365 tenant and need help from the Data Protection team. Here's a message you can use or adapt:

    "Hello, I’m currently unable to access my previous Microsoft 365 tenant due to losing MFA access, which prevents me from receiving verification codes. I’m the global admin, but I’m locked out and unable to generate a QR code or bypass MFA.

    I created this new tenant solely to request assistance. I kindly ask to be connected with the Data Protection team to verify my identity and help me recover access to the original tenant.

    This is urgent, as I rely on Microsoft 365 for my work and have been unable to operate for several days. I’m available to provide any documentation or verification needed to support the recovery process."

    Ticket Support: In the Microsoft 365 Admin Center > Support > Help & Support.

    Please remember to cancel the trial subscription once your issue is resolved to avoid any unintended charges.

    I hope this helps you regain access to your account quickly. I'm glad to assist and truly hope the information provided has been useful. Please feel free to reach out anytime if you need further assistance.

    If you find my post helpful, kindly consider marking it as the accepted answer. Doing so can assist others in the community who may have similar questions in finding solutions more quickly.

    Thank you for your kindness and contributions to the forum.

    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.

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  2. AI answer

    2025-12-05T16:05:24.66+00:00

    It sounds like you're facing a challenging situation with your Microsoft 365 account and multifactor authentication (MFA). Since you no longer have access to your old phone to approve the sign-in requests, here are some steps you can take to regain access:

    1. Use Other Verification Options: If you have set up alternative methods for security verification (like email or backup codes), select Other verification options when prompted during the sign-in process. This may allow you to use a different method to verify your identity.
    2. Contact Another Global Admin: If your organization has other global admins, reach out to them for assistance. They can help reset your password or change your MFA settings.
    3. Contact Microsoft Support: If you cannot access any verification options and have no other global admin to assist you, you may need to contact Microsoft Support for help with your account. They can guide you through the process of regaining access to your account.
    4. Check User Account Settings: If you have access to another global admin, ask them to check your user account settings in the Azure portal to ensure that your account is not blocked from signing in.
    5. Reset Your Password: If you're able to contact support, request a password reset. This may help you log in without needing to approve the MFA request immediately.

    Following these steps should help you regain access to your Microsoft 365 account and Outlook.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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