MFA & Verification Issues

How to Change Microsoft 365 MFA Verification After Losing Your Phone Number

Phi Hung Vo Oct 10, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to update or bypass their multifactor authentication (MFA) settings to access a Microsoft 365 work or school account after losing access to their registered phone number.

How to Change Microsoft 365 MFA Verification After Losing Your Phone Number

Product: Microsoft 365
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to sign in to a work or school account without the mobile device previously configured to receive authentication codes.
Observed behavior: The login process is blocked because the system continuously sends MFA codes to an inaccessible, lost, or old phone number.

Before you start

Confirm whether you are using a work/school account or a personal Microsoft account, as recovery procedures for personal accounts differ entirely from organizational accounts.

Solution 1Recommended

Contact Your Organization's IT Administrator

For Microsoft 365 work or school accounts, an IT administrator must manually reset your MFA settings from the Microsoft Entra admin center.

Because your account is managed by your organization, you cannot bypass the security requirements on your own. Only users with administrative privileges can revoke your old authentication methods.

Locate your IT support contact

Find the contact information for your company's IT helpdesk, your school's technical support center, or the person who initially assigned your Microsoft 365 license.

Request an MFA registration reset

Ask the administrator to access the Microsoft Entra admin center, locate your user profile, and select the option to 'Require re-register MFA'.

Set up your new authentication method

Once the administrator clears your old phone number, go to the Microsoft 365 login page and enter your credentials. You will be prompted to register a new phone number or set up the Microsoft Authenticator app.

Contact Your Organization's IT Administrator

Administrator Guidance: If you are the administrator, you can manage user authentication methods under Azure Active Directory (Microsoft Entra) > Users > Authentication methods.

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Try WPS Office for a Hassle-Free Offline Document Experience

While waiting for your Microsoft 365 IT administrator to reset your MFA settings, you don't have to stop working. WPS Office is a powerful, lightweight alternative that allows you to edit your documents offline without relying on complex cloud authentication.

1. Download the software: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free application for your operating system.
2. Open existing files locally: Launch WPS Office and open your .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx files directly from your computer's local storage.
3. Work without interruptions: Continue editing your documents safely offline while your IT department resolves your Microsoft 365 MFA issue.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover my work or school Microsoft account without an IT administrator?

Generally, no. If your organization has strictly enforced MFA, you cannot bypass it or change the lost phone number yourself. You must contact your Microsoft 365 or IT administrator to clear the old settings.

How do I change my MFA settings if I still have my old phone?

If you can still authenticate, sign in to your Microsoft account and navigate to the 'Security Info' page (mysignins.microsoft.com). Click 'Add sign-in method' to register your new phone number or authenticator app, and then delete the old phone number from the list.

What if I lost the phone number for my personal Microsoft account?

For a personal account (like Outlook.com or Xbox), click 'I don't have any of these' when prompted for a code. You will be redirected to the Microsoft account recovery process, where you can use alternative backup emails or fill out an account recovery form.

Login & Account Issues