Using Outlook for Android in educational settings for communication and organization
Follow these steps to get back into the college email when the Microsoft Authenticator app is not working correctly:
- Make sure the Authenticator app can complete authentication
- Open Microsoft Authenticator on the phone and unlock it if it is locked.
- Check that notifications are allowed and not set to “silent” for Authenticator.
- Confirm the device has internet access; if needed, switch between Wi‑Fi and mobile data.
- Ensure the device date and time are set correctly and the app is updated to the latest version.
- Then try the sign‑in again and approve the prompt or enter the code if shown.
- If “Authentication did not complete” or prompts do not appear
- This can happen if the app is locked, notifications are disabled, the app is outdated, or there are network issues.
- After fixing those items, retry the sign‑in.
- Use an alternate verification method if available
- On the “Verify your identity” screen, choose another method such as SMS text or email code if those are configured on the account.
- If a code is sent by email or SMS but does not arrive, check junk/spam folders and confirm the phone number or email shown (only partial digits/characters are displayed for security).
- If locked out because of two-step verification/MFA
- If none of the verification methods work or the app will not accept the numbers, contact the college’s IT/help desk or Microsoft 365 administrator and request an MFA reset or “Require re‑register MFA” on the account so new methods can be configured.
- If the Microsoft account itself is locked
- If a message appears that the account is locked or “Next” is missing on sign‑in, follow the aka.ms link shown on the lock screen to submit the account unlock form and wait for email from support.
If access to the account is still available on a college computer or browser, use that session to review and, if allowed, update security info (phone, email, or Authenticator) before signing out.
References: