Dangerous looping error - MS Authenticator on Android

MS Authenticator preventing login.

Have just installed MS Authenticator on Moto7, Android 10. Nothing else installed (beyond initial Google defaults needed for Android device.) It begin with a loop. How to get out of it? And are we risking type of user-unresolvable problem because we're using MS Auth? Should we use something else?

On a clean, factory refreshed Android phone, that's been in use over a year;

• Install Authenticator in order to retrieve codes (MS authenticator backup) done before phone was reset (per MS faqs). To install MSA, MS Authenticator then requests code from Authenticator to approve! It's an infinite loop.
• Well, not infinite; It's set for 2F authentication, so it calls the phone; Approved.
• 2nd auth is via email, so I confirm the email address.
• MFA bombs with "too many codes requested" - This is on the 1st attempt to sign in to MFA.
• Click the "go here" for if you're having trouble and it takes me to a screen to change lost password. Password has not been changed and I don't want to change it.
• MS Authenticator current & running on another phone appears fine. But 1st MFA won't let u even try now.

SO -> Reboot; Redownload; reinstall MFA. Same result.

--> INstalled and activate Outlook (same MS account) on device. It installs and loads gmail fine.

--> New email comes in from Postmaster@accountprotection.microsoft.com (Was is sent by MS Authenticator?) Title: RE: Microsoft password reset.eml. MS Account Team: A problem occurred.... try to resend later"

QUESTIONS:

I never sent such an email, Did MS Auth app send it?

1. I then go to a longtime installed & running-fine MS Authenticator on old phone. I can get OTPs from it, and it shows signins stored, yet now also says "try tomorrow." THere's no diagnostics and nothing displayed that's helpful at all to a legitimate user. I'm guessing it's to protect the user?? But there needs to be a safe way to resolve for legitimate account holders.
2. Is tomorrow 24 hours or just after midnight?
3. Who sent the email to MS? Is it legitimate? Why does it fail? Email app wasn't yet installed fyi.
4. MS authenticator and all the security precautions followed for it have seemed to put me in a real bad position now. What could have prevented this?
5. If tomorrow it truly works, will I get some useable info to identify the cause & resolution? We've worked hard to follow carefully MS Faqs on Authenticator. Are people getting better performance from another authenticator app? I've always used MS Auth for MFA with MS account that now its preventing access to and Google account (which seems fine).

NOTES: (Android factory reset was done to phone before reinstalling MS Auth):

Everything above is done on the same phone, same place, same wifi; same device; same phone number; same bluetooth connections, same carrier; phone registered successfully with Google; all default apps updated to current version running Android 10; Default permissions for all apps; Only program installed since factory reset is MS Authenticator (Unusable) and MS Outlook (working with gmail). Can sign into MS Office 365 with MS account via web, without error.

Thanks.