Trying to sign in on my phone

Hello @EvManda James

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum, and I’m sorry to hear you're having trouble accessing your work account due to Microsoft Authenticator app. 

To better assist you, could you please clarify the following:  

• Have you previously set up the Microsoft Authenticator app on any device for this account, or is this your first time trying to sign in?    
• If so, are you currently using the same device where you originally registered the Authenticator app? Have you recently switched to a new device? 

Additionally, when your company enforces multi-factor authentication (MFA) and only allows verification through the Microsoft Authenticator app, the system will not display other options such as SMS, email, or phone call unless those methods have been configured by your administrator. That’s likely why you're being prompted exclusively for the Authenticator app.   

If you haven’t installed the app yet, you can follow this official guide to get started: How to add your accounts to Microsoft Authenticator - Microsoft Support    

You can also refer to this article for instructions on signing in using the app:  Sign in using Microsoft Authenticator - Microsoft Support   

If you have already set up MFA previously and it’s not working, please reach out to your IT administrator and share 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.  

Once this is done, you’ll be prompted to set up MFA again on your new device during your next sign-in.  

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.  

If you have any updates, feel free to leave a comment under this post. I’ll be happy to assist further.   

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding in resolving this matter. 

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

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To sign in to a work/school Outlook account on a phone when it asks for a number or code but none is shown, use one of these supported methods from the Outlook mobile app or adjust your verification options.

1. Verify Outlook mobile is supported for sign-in approvals

• Ensure Outlook for Android is at least version 4.2405.0 or Outlook for iOS at least 4.2438.0.
• Your organization must allow Outlook to be used as an authentication method. If not, the sign-in prompt may still ask for a number/code but Outlook will not provide one; in that case, contact the IT administrator to confirm allowed MFA methods.

2. Use Outlook mobile notifications to approve sign-in If Outlook is allowed as an MFA method:
3. Install and open Microsoft Outlook on the phone.
4. Sign in with the work/school account.
5. After setup, Outlook will show a confirmation that sign-in requests will be sent to the device.
6. When signing in on the phone or work desktop, a message appears on the sign-in screen asking to check the phone.
7. On the phone, a notification appears from Outlook; tap it.
8. If a number is shown on the sign-in screen, tap the matching number in Outlook and then tap Approve. (Some prompts may only show Approve/Deny.)

If the sign-in page is asking for a number but the Outlook notification does not show any numbers, wait for the full prompt to load or cancel and retry the sign-in to trigger a fresh notification.

3. Use a one-time code from Outlook instead of a number match If the sign-in page offers “Use a code” or similar:
4. Open Outlook on the phone.
5. Tap the Home icon (top left).
6. Tap the Settings gear (bottom left).
7. Under General, tap Accounts and select the work/school account.
8. Tap Sign-in requests.
9. Copy the one-time code shown (codes refresh every 30 seconds; if the timer is almost at zero, wait for the next code).
10. Paste or type this code into the sign-in page.

If Outlook shows an error that Authenticator must be used, then Outlook cannot provide the code and the Microsoft Authenticator app must be used instead; contact the IT administrator if Authenticator is not working.

4. If no code or notification is received If neither SMS nor app codes arrive or the prompt never appears:

• Check that another verification method is configured at https://aka.ms/mysecurityinfo (from a browser) and use that method.
• If verification codes (SMS/email) are not arriving, follow these checks:
  • Avoid repeatedly requesting codes; too many requests can cause a temporary block.
  • Ensure the phone is not blocking texts from unknown numbers and that the SMS inbox is not full.
  • Confirm the phone number and email address in Security info are correct and not VOIP.
  • Check junk email for messages from @accountprotection.microsoft.com.
• If still blocked or codes are not delivered, contact the organization’s IT admin to review and update security info or reset MFA.

5. If Outlook mobile itself cannot sign in If Outlook mobile will not sign in at all with the work account:

• Use the work/school password reset link if self-service is allowed: https://passwordreset.microsoftonline.com/
• If that does not work or self-service reset is disabled, contact the IT admin to reset the password or MFA settings.

References:

• Using Outlook mobile to sign in
• Can't sign in to the Outlook mobile app
• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account