If Microsoft Authenticator isn't working when you sign in to your University of Maine System (UMS) account, find your problem below and follow the fix. Having trouble adding Authenticator for the first time? See Troubleshooting Microsoft Authenticator Setup Errors (Entra MFA) instead.
Table of Contents
- Solution
- Not getting a sign-in notification
- Stuck in a sign-in loop
- Notifications always say they've expired
- "Something went wrong. [4s8qz]"
- Error messages in the app
- New, lost, or replaced phone
- Still stuck?
- Additional resources
Microsoft keeps a list of quick checks that fix many Authenticator problems, such as updating the app and checking your phone's settings. Start with Troubleshoot problems with Microsoft Authenticator, Microsoft Support (External Link), then use the sections below.
Microsoft's tips mention keeping security apps such as Microsoft Defender and Intune Company Portal up to date. If you don't have these apps on your phone, you can skip that tip.
ℹ️ INFO: When a Microsoft article tells you to contact your "IT admin" or "admin," contact the
IT Service Desk.
Notifications are the alerts that pop up on your phone. If the Authenticator notification never arrives, you can't finish signing in.
- Turn on notifications for Microsoft Authenticator.
- Turn off Do Not Disturb, which blocks notifications.
- Open Authenticator and unlock it if it asks for your PIN, fingerprint, or face.
- If you need to sign in right away, look for an option on the sign-in screen to sign in another way. The options you see depend on the sign-in methods you've set up.
- If you still don't get notifications, follow Microsoft's fix for missing Authenticator notifications (External Link).
A sign-in loop is when you keep landing back on the same sign-in screen and can't get into your account. Find the version that matches what you see.
You approve the sign-in in Authenticator, but you're sent back to sign in again:
This is usually caused by your web browser, not Authenticator. Follow the steps in the "Stuck in a sign-in loop" section of Common Sign-In Error Messages.
The sign-in screen keeps asking you to approve in Authenticator, but nothing arrives on your phone:
Your phone isn't getting the notification. Follow the steps in Not getting a sign-in notification above, and use the option to sign in another way if you need to get in right away.
If you're still stuck in the loop, contact the IT Service Desk.
Authenticator needs the clocks on your phone and on the computer you're signing in from to match the real time. If either clock is off, notifications can show as expired.
- Set your phone's date and time to update automatically.
- On your computer, check that the date, time, and time zone are correct, and set them to update automatically.
- Follow Microsoft's fix for notifications that always expire (External Link).
This is usually a short-term problem, such as an Authenticator update in progress. Wait a few minutes and try again. If it keeps happening, find the "Something went wrong. [4s8qz]" section in Troubleshoot problems with Microsoft Authenticator, Microsoft Support (External Link) and follow the steps there.
If you see one of these messages while signing in, find it below and follow the fix.
Help turning on notifications: Turn notifications on for an app on iPhone (External Link) or Control notifications on Android (External Link).
If the fix doesn't work, contact the IT Service Desk.
Authenticator doesn't move your UMS account to a new phone automatically. See Replacing or Recovering an MFA Sign-In Method (Lost, New, or Replacement Device).
Contact the IT Service Desk.
- Applies to all University of Maine System (UMS) accounts
- Microsoft Entra multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Microsoft Authenticator app on iOS and Android