Authenticator app locked and can't unlock

I have the same issue as the original correspondent. I have facial recognition on my iPhone. The app appears to accept the facial recognition but it does not unlock.

I'm trying to help someone with the same issue.

She is using an iPhone 8, so instead of Face ID, she's using Touch ID. It appears to accept the finger print but doesn't unlock the app.

If she chooses the option to "Enter Passcode", the keyboard never comes up. Instead, she is brought back to the main screen showing "Authenticator locked" with the Unlock link at the bottom.

I’m also facing the same issue as the other posters. I’m on the latest iOS 17.2.1 with the latest Microsoft Authenticator app, v6.8.3, installed at the time of writing.

The app initially worked like the old iPhone with Touch ID. I recently changed to a new iPhone that now has Face ID. After restoring the Authenticator app from my iCloud backup, the app worked fine, that is, I could successfully unlock it to view all other accounts,

After a few days, I could only open the Microsoft Authenticator app if I received an approval notification, e.g.: passwordless. Once I approve the request notification, only after that moment while the Authenticator app is unlocked I can view all other accounts to see their associated OTP codes, etc. If I close and reopen the Authenticator app, it attempts to unlock via Face ID and remains stuck on the Unlock screen (see below).

There’s another Microsoft Community post reporting the same issue.

I have uninstalled the app, reinstalled it, recovered from my iCloud backup and restored all my Microsoft accounts, both corporate and personal, which again only seems to work for a few days and encounters the same issue.

The workaround is to authenticate with a Microsoft-based account, to receive an approval notification in order to successfully unlock the app, which then allows me to view other OTP accounts.

This is rather frustrating especially when OTP codes are time sensitive and I rely on this app for other OTP-based accounts too.

Hi all, the latest Microsoft Authenticator app update, v6.8.4 that I received yesterday, seems to have rectified my issue on my iPhone with Face ID running iOS 17.3. The app now properly launches after unlocking with Face ID.

Hoping this has addressed the issue for anyone who's had this issue.

Thanks

I have an endless Authenticator loop with an account that I administer. I moved to a new mobile device and apparently did not have a cloud backup of the authenticator data. The old device is gone and cannot set up authenticator on the new device because I need 2FA via Authenticator to set Authenticator up on the new device - there is the conundrum. I can reset the password, and I have done so a few times, but that's as far as I can get. As I am the only user in my org, and I am also the sole administrator and I am blocked from using authorizing it because I can't even authorize Authenticator to access my account to turn off 2FA, I appear to be completely blocked out.

I have spent about eight hours trying various strategies to resolve this problem and it always comes back to needing Authenticator to authorize Authenticator for this account.

BTW, it is not the account that I have used to sign in here. I can't even sign in to the forums with that account to get help because I need Authenticator to sign in.

How can I have someone at Microsoft turn off the 2FA for my affected account?

Regards,

Michael

I have an endless Authenticator loop with an account that I administer. I moved to a new mobile device and apparently did not have a cloud backup of the authenticator data. The old device is gone and cannot set up authenticator on the new device because I need 2FA via Authenticator to set Authenticator up on the new device - there is the conundrum. I can reset the password, and I have done so a few times, but that's as far as I can get. As I am the only user in my org, and I am also the sole administrator and I am blocked from using authorizing it because I can't even authorize Authenticator to access my account to turn off 2FA, I appear to be completely blocked out.

I have spent about eight hours trying various strategies to resolve this problem and it always comes back to needing Authenticator to authorize Authenticator for this account.

BTW, it is not the account that I have used to sign in here. I can't even sign in to the forums with that account to get help because I need Authenticator to sign in.

How can I have someone at Microsoft turn off the 2FA for my affected account?

Regards,

Michael

Michael,

You should have started your own thread, since the problem in this one has nothing to do with the one you have.

You understand that your true problem was the replaced phone and not properly recovering the backup if it existed, so you only need aid in getting around that as you recognize.

Since we have no idea whether you're registered with Microsoft as a business using Azure or an individual using a typical Microsoft account, we can't be sure where to send you for the best aid, though in general you need to reach some form of Microsoft Support that suits your particular set of products, so anything you previously received that might help you understand that could help you find the appropriate place to contact.

Since these forums are for individuals using a Microsoft Personal account and not Azure or the other specifically business products, you'd only want to continue here if you either have a Personal account or you can't figure this out for certain on your own. In either case, I'd really recommend starting a new thread if you continue here, since most helpers won't bother to look at threads like this one that already have multiple posts, since they'll assume the person is already being helped by others.

Either way, describe the Microsoft products you use with as specific naming as possible, since it's difficult to tell which type of customer you are if you don't know yourself.

Rob

Hi Rob,

Thank you for the response. I will start a new thread.

Regards,

Michael

I had the same issue. I could resolve it by disabling Face ID access for Authenticator app under Settinga and then launching the app. After this I could enable access to Face ID again.

Greetings, Rob! My name is Arif, and I will assist you today.

I'm sorry to hear that you're facing this issue. Just to clarify, you are unable to unlock the authenticator app on your phone, correct? Was your phone set up with a PIN, Face ID, or fingerprint to unlock it?

If any of these methods were set up, have you tried using them to unlock the authenticator app? If you have attempted to unlock it using one of these methods, did you receive any error messages indicating that the authenticator app couldn't be unlocked?

Troubleshoot problems using Microsoft Authenticator:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-bil....

For more information please check the thread below which is related to your issue:
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/for...

Warm Regards,
Arif

Quite simply when I loaded the Authenticator app I was given a screenlock, a six figure number. I didn't write it down and now I don't know it. I cannot access Authenticator without this lock. I did not choose any other form of unlocking.

Can I recover the screenlock number or be given another?