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Where do I find the QR codes for Microsoft 365 accounts?

Neil Benson 416 Reputation points MVP
2022-05-24T21:00:17.77+00:00

I have successfully restored Authenticator to a new phone. All the accounts are working except for the five Microsoft 365 work accounts that I use.

They all tell me, "Action required. Scan the QR code provided by your organization to finish recovering this account".

When I log into My Account (myaccount.microsoft.com), I can't find anywhere where a QR code is displayed.

Where do I find the QR codes that Authenticator is looking for?

Microsoft Authenticator
Microsoft Authenticator
A Microsoft app for iOS and Android devices that enables authentication with two-factor verification, phone sign-in, and code generation.
7,611 questions
Accepted answer
  1. Anonymous
    2022-05-25T00:07:09.29+00:00

    Try here.
    https://account.activedirectory.windowsazure.com/r/#/profile

    then additional security verification

    9 people found this answer helpful.

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  1. FlorisZ 1 Reputation point
    2023-03-08T11:33:49.26+00:00

    Tried all the above, to no avail.

    Eventually the following was successful.

    1. You don't have to remove the Authenticator app for you old iPhone, but you have to Delete it for your new iPhone if it shows an additional 'Microsoft Authenticator' in the list on: https://mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info
    2. Just remove the 2 factor authentication for you account from the IOS app and choose; "Just for this app"
    3. Then go to the above website and choose: 'Add sign-in method' and choose the authenticator app. QR is shown.
    4. Click in the Authenticator app on your iPhone the '+' and choose work/school account
    5. Scan the QR from step 3 above
    6. Done. Now the red sentence with 'Action required' is not shown anymore and push notifications for MFA are working again on you new device as well
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  3. GraniteStateColin 146 Reputation points
    2024-07-24T16:09:24.52+00:00

    Microsoft has made changes to significantly improve this since this thread started. That's not to say it's as simple as it could and should be (should not require re-connecting the accounts in the first place if you have already signed-in to your account to connect and restore your prior Authenticator settings -- that should be enough, but I do see that forcing a re-connect adds a bit of add'l security), but it's much better than it was a few years ago where many of us complained about the stupidity of the way it works.

    IF (definitely won't apply to everyone) you are upgrading to a new phone and still have the old one, it's now MUCH easier to update the Microsoft accounts in Authenticator following the migration to the new phone. Now, in Authenticator on the new phone, it will show all the previous entries (I have about a dozen), where ironically all of them come across perfectly with no additional work to use them EXCEPT the Microsoft accounts. All of those need to be re-connected via the QR code scan (or delete and re-create, that old method still works too). But now, where they still tell you to get the QR code, that also works without needing to delete the account first.

    You just go to your account (I find this easiest by visiting Outlook, works the same if it's a Microsoft personal/consumer or Exchange enterprise account). This action may well trigger an MFA connection if you're not already signed in, hence the need in some cases for the old device to still be active if you don't have any alternative sign-in methods active. I recommend adding at least a phone method (I also have a backup email account for my own account). With one of these, you can always get into your account to update authenticator with no work required by an admin.

    Then, click on your account icon in the upper right and select "View account." Then, click on "Update Info" under Security info. If you have the option to Change or Update for your new device, select that and use the QR code. If not, just click the "+ Add sign-in method" above the list and use that QR code. You can then delete the old device or not as you prefer.

    On the other hand, if you don't have the old device, signing in to your account triggers an MFA verification, and if you never set up any other methods for verification (additional email address, phone, etc.), then you will still need an account admin to reset it for you. Not sure how this works for personal @outlook.com accounts where MS is the "admin", but straightforward for an IT guy at enterprise accounts (I did it for some users -- annoying when it's needed, but very easy to do from the Users page in admin.microsoft.com).

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  4. Jonathan DeKock 0 Reputation points
    2025-01-02T17:54:23.5433333+00:00

    Solved. @GraniteStateColin You won't believe the hoops I had to jump through.

    First, as an admin I was still logged in on my computer so I made a fake account in my domain. Then I gave the fake account global administrator access. Then I logged in as that account, and using that account I could modify my own personal account using the "Require re-register multifactor authentication" mechanism as previously described. Once I had them all disabled I could then add new ones, added my phone number so it would text me, then once I got it, went back and added the authenticator app and used the QR code it supplied when I did that. Why it wouldn't use my phone number that was in their previously is a mystery. But by disabling it and re-added it while being someone else, in this case a fake account, then it was fine.

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