Unable to Receive Authenticator Codes After Phone Change – Microsoft Teams University Account

Sara JAHANI JAFARI 0 Reputation points
2026-02-26T10:50:10.5266667+00:00

I hope you are doing well. I am writing because I am unable to sign in to my Microsoft Teams account after changing my phone. My university courses are managed through this account, and I urgently need access.

Previously, I had Teams set up on my old phone, but now when I try to sign in on my new phone, it asks for a verification code and I do not receive it. It seems that the authentication was only enabled on my previous device, and I no longer have access to it.

I have already contacted my university’s IT department, but they informed me that they cannot help with this and advised me to contact Microsoft Support directly.

Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Teams for education | Classwork
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  1. AI answer

    2026-02-26T10:50:42.4666667+00:00

    For a university (work/school) Teams account where Microsoft Authenticator on a new phone no longer works, the authentication methods must be reset by the organization or, if there is no other admin path, by Microsoft’s data protection process. End users cannot bypass or change MFA themselves when locked out.

    Use these steps in order:

    1. Try any alternative sign-in method
    • If any other method was previously configured (SMS, phone call, backup email, hardware key), use that instead of the Authenticator app when prompted.
    • If an alternative method works and you can sign in, contact your university IT/admin and ask them to clear or reset your MFA so you can re-register Microsoft Authenticator on the new phone.
    1. If no alternative method works
    • For a work/school account, Microsoft support agents cannot directly send verification codes or change security info for you.
    • The normal resolution is:
      • University IT (tenant admins) go to Microsoft Entra admin center → Users → your account → Authentication methods → “Require re-register multifactor authentication”. This forces a fresh MFA setup on next sign-in.
    1. If the university insists only Microsoft can fix it
    • University IT must open a support ticket with Microsoft as the tenant administrators. They can:
      • Call Microsoft support using the regional Customer service phone numbers and request the Data Protection team to help reset MFA for a student account, or
      • Open a support request from their Microsoft 365 admin center.
    • Only the tenant’s admins or Microsoft’s Data Protection team (working with those admins) can reset MFA on a university tenant.
    1. If verification codes in general are not arriving If at any point you are supposed to receive a code (SMS/email) and it does not arrive:
    • Avoid repeated requests; excessive or repetitive requests can cause temporary blocking of code delivery.
    • Check junk/spam folders for messages from @accountprotection.microsoft.com if email is used.
    • Ensure the phone number on file is a mobile number, not VOIP, and that the device can receive SMS from unknown numbers.
    • If the account has been temporarily blocked due to unusual activity, code delivery may resume only after the block automatically clears.
    1. What you personally can do now
    • Contact university IT again and explicitly ask them to:
      • Reset your MFA / require re-register MFA for your account, or
      • Open a support ticket with Microsoft (Data Protection team) as the tenant admins to restore access to your account.
    • Provide them with your university email address and explain that you changed phones and lost access to Microsoft Authenticator, and no backup method works.

    Because this is a university tenant, only the institution’s administrators, working with Microsoft support if needed, can perform the necessary reset. There is no self-service way to bypass MFA when all methods are unavailable.

    References:

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  2. Tamara-Hu 17,955 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-02-26T12:31:09.52+00:00

    Hello @Sara JAHANI JAFARI, 

    Thank you for posting your valuable question on Microsoft Q&A forum.   

    I'm very sorry for the inconvenience you’ve experienced, based on the details you shared. May I ask if you have any alternative method to sign-in besides Authenticator? If yes, please try sign-in using this alternative method. 

    User's image

    If you don't have any alternative sign-in method, to resolve this issue, you will need to have your MFA settings reset. This will allow you to set up your authentication method again on your new device and regain access to Microsoft Teams and other Microsoft services.

    (This reset must be performed by someone with administrative access to the Microsoft Entra ID portal.)

    Based on your description, your university’s IT department may not be the Microsoft 365 Global Administrators for your school, or they may not know who the correct administrator is. You can use the following guidance to help identify the appropriate Microsoft 365 admin: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support  

    User's image

    One of the simplest and most effective steps is to contact someone who originally provided you with your account. This could be: 

    • A teacher or faculty member who assigned you the Teams site or project. 
    • A school administrator who manages student accounts and access. 
    • The IT support staff at your school, who can check your account permissions and troubleshoot any login or access issues. 

    If you're not sure who to contact, try starting with a teacher or staff member you regularly communicate with. They can either assist you directly or point you to the right person or department. Additionally, if your school has a helpdesk portal, internal support email, or a dedicated Teams channel for tech support, that’s a great place to ask for help. 

    After reaching the correct administrator, have them proceed with the following steps:

    • Go to Microsoft Entra Admin Center: https://entra.microsoft.com  
    • Navigate to Users > All Users.  
    • Select your user account.  
    • Go to Authentication Methods.  
    • Click "Require re-register multifactor authentication".  

    User's image

    This will reset your MFA settings. The next time you sign in, you’ll be prompted to set up the Authenticator app again using a QR code.   

    If you wish to contact Microsoft Support directly for assistance, please be aware that only a Microsoft 365 Administrator for your school can open a support ticket with Microsoft regarding account or authentication issues. End‑users and students do not have permission to request this type of support on their own. 

    If your organization's Office 365 Business/Education subscription is from a partner or reseller, contact the reseller's support provider to help open a service request on behalf of you instead.   

    In this case, I’d like to clarify a few details so I can guide you more accurately: 

    • Is your account an end‑user (student/staff) account, or do you have Microsoft 365 admin permissions at your school?  
    • Who provided you with the account that lost access? 
    • Did the guidance help you identify the correct Microsoft 365/Entra ID administrator for your institution? 
    • Please ask your administrator whether your school’s Microsoft 365 licenses were purchased directly from Microsoft or through a partner/reseller. This affects where they can request support. 

    Please feel free to share any additional information or questions you may have . I’m here to help! 

    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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