MFA authenicator for work account

For a work account like @dallaspolice.gov, only the organization’s administrators can reset or clear the existing MFA methods so the account can be set up again on a new phone.

Use these steps and talking points with the correct admin/help desk in the department:

1. Identify the Microsoft 365/Entra (Azure AD) admin
   The MFA for Teams and other Microsoft 365 apps is controlled in Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD). Your internal IT unit, city IT, or whoever manages @dallaspolice.gov email/Teams is the group that can help. If coworkers use Teams/Outlook, ask who handles account creation or password resets; that team is usually the right contact.
2. Ask the admin to reset your MFA registration
   The admin should:
   • Go to Microsoft Entra admin center → Users → All users → select your account.
   • Open Authentication methods.
   • Use Require re-register multifactor authentication (or equivalent) to clear your current MFA registration.
   After this is done, the next time you sign in to Teams/Office 365, you will be prompted to set up MFA again and can add Microsoft Authenticator on your new phone.
3. If there is no other admin or they don’t know how
   If you truly have only one global admin in the tenant and that person is locked out, or no one can access the admin portal to reset MFA, the organization must contact Microsoft support and ask for the Data Protection team to reset the admin’s MFA. This is done via the official Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support line, following the flow described in the references (state the issue is with “Authenticator” and “Office 365 for business,” and that the caller is an admin who has lost access).
4. No self-service reset for work MFA
   For a work/school account, support agents and end users cannot bypass or reset MFA themselves; only tenant admins (or Microsoft’s Data Protection team working with an admin) can clear the MFA methods.

Until an admin resets your MFA registration, the Authenticator app will continue to ask for a code tied to the old phone and you will remain unable to complete sign-in.

References:

• Use a screen reader to set up and troubleshoot multifactor authentication
• Frequently asked questions about Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication
• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
• I need to reset my mfa methods - Microsoft Q&A
• I have a Micrsoft business account and I am the admin and the only user registered under this account. I can't log in because i have replaced my phone and the authenticator doesn't work. - Microsoft Q&A
• Requesting a Tenant Admin MFA Reset - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft authenticator sending me into a spiral - Microsoft Q&A