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Lost the MFA app: new phone, no backup codes

Classic problem after a phone upgrade. You are not the first to be locked out.

Try this first

  1. 1First text or call the admin of your work Microsoft 365 (often a colleague managing the tenant). They can do a temporary MFA reset.
  2. 2No internal admin? Call your IT vendor (us or otherwise); they can reset in five minutes with the right rights.
  3. 3For personal accounts (Google, Microsoft personal): use the "I lost my phone" flow. Loss of legal certainty sometimes triggers a few days of recovery delay.
  4. 4Once back in: set MFA up on the new phone AND save backup codes in a safe place (password manager) this time.

When to bring us in

For business accounts: do not ask a random helpdesk to reset your MFA if you do not know them. A real attacker likes to pose as you. Call a number you already know.

See also

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