Argus IT Help Desk · Mobile Devices
Setting Up Microsoft Authenticator on a New Phone
Two minutes of backup now saves hours of lockout later.
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READ THIS BEFORE YOU SWITCH OR RESET YOUR PHONE Microsoft Authenticator is required to sign in to your Argus email and Microsoft 365. Switch phones without setting it up on the new one and you will be locked out — requiring IT to reset your MFA, which can take hours during business days and is not available outside business hours. Spend two minutes backing up your Authenticator BEFORE you switch.
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Account lockout policy Enter your password wrong 3 times in a row and your account locks for 5 minutes. That's normal protection, not a bug. Wait the full 5 minutes — extra attempts reset the timer. Verify your password at www.outlook.com in a browser before retrying in any app. Forgotten it entirely? Submit a ticket for a reset. This applies to every Argus system using your M365 account — Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, Office.com.
✅ Scenario 1: BEFORE you switch phones (recommended)
You still have your current phone and Authenticator is on it — back it up first. 1 Enable cloud backup on your CURRENT phone: open Microsoft Authenticator → three dots (top-right) → Settings → Backup section → turn Cloud backup ON → sign in with a personal Microsoft account (@outlook.com, @hotmail.com, @live.com — NOT your Argus account). 2 Wait for it to complete — a few seconds; Settings then shows a green checkmark or "Backup enabled." 3 Install Authenticator on your NEW phone from the App Store / Play Store → open it → tap Begin recovery → sign in with the same personal Microsoft account → your accounts appear, including Argus. 4 Verify: sign in to www.outlook.com — the MFA approval should arrive on the new phone. 💡 No personal Microsoft account? Create one free at signup.live.com — 30 seconds, and it only holds this backup.
📱 Scenario 2: already switched, and you DID back up
Skip to step 3 above — install Authenticator on the new phone and tap Begin recovery.
🚫 Scenario 3: already switched, and you did NOT back up
The Authenticator setup on the old phone is gone and there's no way to recover it yourself. Submit a ticket — we will reset your MFA, remove the old device from your profile, and confirm when it's done.
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Already tried adding your Argus account on the new phone? That stale entry must be removed first or the new setup won't work: open Authenticator → find the Argus account entry → tap and hold (or open it and tap the gear) → Remove account → confirm. If you haven't added it yet, skip this. 💡 This requires identity verification — we'll typically contact your manager or use a known phone number to confirm it's really you.
🔑 Setting up MFA — the office.com process
Used both for new users and for re-adding MFA after a reset. 1 Install Microsoft Authenticator on your phone if it isn't already (App Store / Play Store). 2 On a computer (not your phone), go to www.office.com → Sign in → enter your Argus email and password. 3 Microsoft detects MFA isn't configured and walks you through it — click Next through the prompts until a QR code appears on the computer screen. 4 On your phone: Authenticator → + → Work or school account → Scan QR code → point the camera at the screen. 5 Authenticator adds the account and prompts a test sign-in — approve it on your phone. 6 Microsoft may prompt for an "app password" — see the note below; type anything and click through. 7 Confirm: go to www.outlook.com on the same computer and sign in — approve the Authenticator request and you'll see your inbox.
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About the "app password" prompt. Microsoft may ask you to create an "app password" during or after setup. This is a leftover from older Microsoft 365 versions and is no longer used by any current Microsoft or Argus system. Don't craft a strong, memorable one — it will never be used. Type anything, click through, and forget it immediately.
⭐ Pro tips
- Enable cloud backup the day you first set up Authenticator — don't wait until you need it.
- Keep your personal Microsoft account credentials somewhere safe (a password manager). The backup is useless if you can't sign in to recover it.
- Never share Authenticator codes with anyone — including IT. We will never ask for your MFA code. If anyone asks (even claiming to be IT), refuse and report it.
🆘 When to submit a ticket — and what to include
- No access to your old phone AND no backup.
- Authenticator set up on the new phone but sign-ins still fail.
- "Your account is locked" that doesn't clear after 5 minutes.
- No Authenticator prompts arriving, though the app looks set up.
Include: new phone, factory reset, or both? · was Authenticator backed up before the switch? (if yes, try signing in to it with your personal Microsoft account first — that often fixes it without IT) · which Argus account is affected · what the MFA prompt shows on screen · how you can verify your identity.
ArgusIT KB# 190001 · Tags: authenticator · mfa · new-phone · 2fa · phone · microsoft-authenticator
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