Unable to Sign in onto OneNote on iPad with my school email with Duo Authentication

Question

Unable to Sign in onto OneNote on iPad with my school email with Duo Authentication

JR 0

I am trying to sign into OneNote on my iPad (6th generation) using my school email that requires Duo authentication. I go through the steps of signing into OneNote, am directed to my school's log in widget as usual and do the Duo authentication, but then the log in screen widget freezes with the message from my school's log in "Success! Logging you in...". I have tried restarting my iPad, utilizing different Duo authentication methods, going on settings and toggling the Resent OneNote option, but none of them work.

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2 answers

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Answer 1

Follow these steps on the iPad to troubleshoot the sign-in freeze after Duo authentication:

Confirm the correct account and password
First verify that the school account and password work outside the app:
- In Safari or another browser on the iPad, go to the school’s Microsoft 365 sign-in page (or the standard Microsoft 365 sign-in page if your school uses that) and sign in with the same school email and Duo.
- If sign-in fails in the browser, contact the school’s IT/help desk to fix the account or Duo configuration.
Update OneNote and all Office apps
OneNote and the other Office apps share identity and credentials. Out-of-date apps can cause sign-in loops or freezes.
- Open the App Store on the iPad.
- Update OneNote to the latest version.
- Also update Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and any other Microsoft 365 apps installed.
Clear OneNote’s sign-in credentials on iOS
Corrupted credentials can cause repeated or stuck sign-in flows.
- Open Settings on the iPad.
- Scroll down and tap OneNote.
- Tap Reset OneNote (or Reset section).
- Turn on Delete Sign-In Credentials.
- Make sure OneNote is fully closed (swipe up from the bottom, find OneNote in the app switcher, and swipe it up to close).
- Reopen OneNote and sign in again with the school account and Duo.
If still stuck, reset another Office app and sign in there first
Since Office apps share identity, sometimes signing in successfully in another app clears the issue.
- In Settings > Word (or Excel/PowerPoint) on the iPad, under RESET, tap Reset <app name> and enable Delete Login Credentials.
- Close that app from the app switcher.
- Open Word/Excel/PowerPoint, sign in with the school account and complete Duo.
- Once that works, open OneNote and try sign-in again.
Check device and app requirements
- Confirm the iPadOS version on the 6th‑generation iPad meets the current system requirements for OneNote and Microsoft 365 apps (check the OneNote page in the App Store).
- If the OS is too old for the current OneNote version, update iPadOS if possible.
If the Duo “Success! Logging you in…” screen still freezes
At that point the Duo and school login page have already accepted the credentials; the hang is usually in the school’s SSO integration or conditional access policy for iOS apps.
- Capture the time of the failure and a screenshot of the frozen “Success! Logging you in…” screen.
- Contact the school’s IT/help desk and provide:
  - iPad model and iPadOS version
  - OneNote version
  - That sign-in works in a browser but the in-app login web view freezes after Duo
    They can check sign-in logs and adjust any mobile app/modern auth/conditional access settings that are blocking or breaking the redirect back to OneNote.

References:

Answer 2

Dear @JR,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Based on your description, OneNote on your iPad is getting stuck after completing Duo MFA with the message “Success! Logging you in…” although you have tried many methods.

Since your email is a education account, your school IT team or Helpdesk may be able to reset your Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) settings. As a forum moderator, I do not have administrative access to change these settings. Only your IT team has the ability to adjust or reset your MFA configuration. You can also refer to this Microsoft support article for more information: Manage authentication methods - Microsoft Entra ID | Microsoft Learn

In case you are the only Global Administrator, you might need to contact Microsoft Support team via phone service number: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support. The agent will be able to create a ticket for you under the affected tenant and then transfer this ticket to Data Protection team who could help you to regain access.

To help you navigate the automated phone system (IVR), here's an example of what the conversation might look like:

IVR: What kind of problem are you worried about?

You: Admin account locked

IVR: What kind of product do you use?

You: Office 365 for education

IVR: Does it count for education or business?

You: For education

IVR: Are you an admin?

You: Yes

IVR: Do you have another administrator in your organization?

You: No

IVR: Need a service request?

You: Yes

This should help you connect with a live support agent who can help you directly.

If you can't create a support ticket during the call, I recommend creating a temporary tenant account and submitting the support request from there. To create a new tenant, follow these steps:

Visit Office 365 E3 - Enterprise Collaboration and Productivity | Microsoft
Select any plan and click Try for free.
Complete the setup to create a new tenant.
Ticket support: In the Microsoft 365 admin center>support>help & support. You can create a support ticket: https://admin.microsoft.com/#/support/requests

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

I hope information above can help you resolve the issue, feel free to reach out if you have any other questions.

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