Office 365 – Microsoft Authenticator on a new device

by | Last updated Jul 15, 2022 | Published on Apr 22, 2021 | How-To, Office 365 / Microsoft 365

If you’re using multi-factor authentication on your Office 365 account, you’re likely using the Microsoft Authenticator mobile app to secure your account. If you ever upgrade your mobile device though you’ll likely want to update your account so you’re receiving the prompts on your new device instead. This article will cover the process for switching which device receives the Microsoft Authenticator prompts. This process requires you to have access to your old device at least until you’ve made the necessary changes, at which point you can wipe / dispose of your older device; if you’ve lost access to the original device for any reason you will need to contact whomever administers your Office 365 account (hopefully us!) to restore access.

  1. Visit https://myaccount.microsoft.com and log in to your Office 365 account
  2. Under the Security info section, click Update Info
  3. In the Security info page you should see existing authenticators and/or app passwords you may have set up previously. Click the + Add method button
  4. Make sure to select Authenticator app from the drop-down menu then click the Add button
  5. Follow the prompts to set up the Microsoft Authenticator app on your mobile device including scanning the QR code and approving when prompted
  6. You should see an additional Microsoft Authenticator method now listed alongside the previous methods
  7. Identify the old method linked to your previous device; you can click the reversed caret ( ^ ) button to expand more details to help you identify the correct method. When you’ve located it click the Delete link to remove it
  8. Finally, if you have’t set one already you can set the default sign-in method by clicking the link Set default sign-in method found just above the + Add method button. If you’ve already set a default method, just make sure it’s set correct after deleting the old method.

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