When encountering an issue with the Authenticator app there may be many different issues causing these problems, and many of them can easily be resolved yourself by following the below steps.
1. UPDATE THE APP
The Microsoft Authenticator may not be working properly because you are using an outdated version of the app.
Head over to Google Play Store or Apple App Store to check if a newer version is available. Tap the Update button to install the update and see if that fixes your problem.
2. Turn off your WiFi
There is an issue that appears at times on both Android and Apple devices that prevents the notification from coming through the phone when it is connected to a WiFi network. To fix this turn off the WiFi on your mobile device and try to send the notification out to your device again.
3. FORCE CLOSE AND REOPEN THE APP
Microsoft Authenticator may act up on your phone if one of its app processes encounters issues while running. This step shows you how to close the app entirely and restart it.
To force-close Microsoft Authenticator on Android, long-press on its app icon and tap the ‘i’ icon from the resulting menu. Tap the Force stop option at the bottom-right corner.
If you have an iPhone, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access the app switcher. Locate the Microsoft Authenticator card and swipe upwards to close the app.
Reopen the app on your phone and check if it works fine.
4. ENABLE NOTIFICATION PERMISSION FOR THE MICROSOFT AUTHENTICATOR
Like any other app, the Microsoft Authenticator app requires permission to display notifications on your Android or iPhone. If you have previously declined this permission, or accidently declined it during use, Microsoft Authenticator won’t show any login approval requests on your phone.
Android
Step 1: Long-press on the Microsoft Authenticator app icon and tap the ‘i’ info icon from the menu that pops open.
Step 2: Tap on Notifications and enable the toggle next to Allow notifications in the following menu.
iPhone
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Step 2: Scroll down to tap on Authenticator.
Step 3: Tap on Notifications and enable the toggle next to Allow Notifications.
5. ENABLE AUTOMATIC DATE AND TIME
Microsoft Authenticator relies on your device’s current time and a locally stored secret key to generate codes. If your phone’s clock is not in sync, Microsoft Authenticator won’t work. To fix this, you can enable your phone’s automatic date and time feature by following the steps below.
Android
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your phone and go to General management, or search for Date & Time under your settings search box.
Step 2: Tap on Date and time and enable the toggle next to ‘Automatic date and time.’
iPhone
Step 1: Launch the Settings app on your iPhone and navigate to General.
Step 2: Tap on Date & Time.
Step 3: Toggle on the switch next to Set Automatically.
6. TURN OFF BATTERY OPTIMIZATION FOR THE APP (ANDROID)
Enabling battery optimization for Microsoft Authenticator can prevent the app from receiving necessary updates in the background and working properly. Due to this it’s best to remove any battery restrictions for the app to ensure optimal performance. The battery usage is minimal so you should not see any noticeable impact from it running.
Step 1: Open the Microsoft Authenticator app on your phone. Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner and select ‘Turn off battery optimization.’
Step 2: Select Allow to confirm.
7. CLEAR APP CACHE (ANDROID)
Outdated or corrupt cache files can also cause the Microsoft Authenticator to malfunction on your Android. You can try purging the existing app cache to see if that restores normal function. Please note that deleting Data will remove all account associated data and will require you to full set up your account again.
Step 1: Long-press on the Microsoft Authenticator app icon and tap the info icon from the menu that pops open.
Step 2: Go to Storage and tap the Clear cache option.
9. REMOVE AND RE-ADD YOUR ACCOUNTS
If Microsoft Authenticator is not showing codes only for a specific account, you may need to re-authenticate your account to start receiving codes again. You will have to remove your account from the app and add it back. Please note that this step may require you to contact our department if you have not set up a back up verification method.
Step 1: Open the Microsoft Authenticator app on your phone.
Step 2: Select the problematic account from the list.
Step 3: Tap the gear icon in the top right corner and select Remove account.
Step 4: Select Remove Account to confirm.
Step 5: Tap the plus icon at the top and follow the on-screen prompts to add your Work or School account again.
