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If Microsoft Authenticator asks you to approve a sign-in you did not start, do not approve it or enter a matching number. The request may indicate that someone is trying to access your account, but the notification alone does not show that they succeeded. Review your account activity and take the response steps for your account type. If you did start the sign-in and the prompt is missing or failing, troubleshoot notifications and connectivity instead.
What an unexpected Authenticator request means
An unsolicited approval request can mean someone has your sign-in name or other credentials and is attempting to sign in. It is not proof that the attempt succeeded. Treat every request you did not initiate as untrusted, even if it looks familiar or asks for a simple Yes/No response.
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Number matching is a security check, not a way to verify that a request is legitimate. Approve only when you are currently signing in and the displayed number matches the one in that sign-in flow. Microsoft says users cannot opt out of number matching for Authenticator push notifications (Microsoft Learn: how number matching works).
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- Reject or ignore the request. Do not tap approve, enter a number, or accept a Yes/No prompt. Do not use a notification’s appearance as evidence that it is safe.
- Review account activity and secure the account. Use the account provider’s security options and follow its guidance for suspicious activity. If you suspect that your password or other credentials are exposed, use the provider’s account-security recovery steps.
- Choose the response path for your account type. Personal Microsoft accounts and organization-managed work or school accounts have different support and identity controls.
Personal Microsoft account
A Microsoft Q&A Independent Advisor recommends creating a new sign-in alias, making it the primary sign-in address, and turning off sign-in for the older alias while keeping that address available as an email alias. This is community-advisor guidance, not a formal Microsoft security guarantee. Before changing aliases, check Microsoft’s current instructions for adding or removing an email alias and confirm that the steps fit your account.
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The cited Q&A response does not establish that every denied Authenticator request appears in personal-account activity history. Do not assume that an absent event proves no one tried to sign in.
Work or school account
Notify your organization’s IT administrator or helpdesk rather than changing organization-managed authentication settings yourself. The Microsoft-hosted Q&A response points users to My Sign-ins and administrators to Microsoft Entra sign-in logs to investigate events. Your organization’s policies determine what you can see and which response steps you can take.
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How a legitimate Authenticator sign-in normally works
For a sign-in you initiated, the usual flow is to enter your username, choose Send notification or select the Authenticator approval method under Other ways to sign in, then open Authenticator and confirm the corresponding number. Some work or school accounts may require you to unlock Authenticator before confirming. Follow Microsoft’s sign-in instructions.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteSome same-device Microsoft app flows may show a Yes/No prompt; browser flows continue to require entering the number. The important distinction is still whether you started the sign-in. Microsoft has also described suppressing pop-up notifications for some anomalous requests, directing users to open the app and enter the displayed number instead. That behavior does not mean every request is anomalous or that an uninitiated request is safe to approve (Microsoft Tech Community).
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If you started the sign-in but the prompt is silent, late, or failing
These checks are for a sign-in you initiated. They can help with delivery or authentication problems, but they do not make an unexpected request safe to approve. Microsoft’s Authenticator troubleshooting guidance recommends checking the following:
- Confirm the device is online. If needed, try Wi-Fi instead of mobile data, or mobile data instead of Wi-Fi.
- Update Authenticator to the latest version available for your device.
- Check that Authenticator notifications are enabled in the app and in the device’s notification settings. Do Not Disturb or Quiet mode can suppress alerts.
- Check the device’s date and time. Incorrect manual time can cause requests to expire.
- Review battery optimization and VPN settings if notifications or connection are unreliable.
If authentication still does not complete, Microsoft identifies a locked app, disabled or silent notifications, an outdated app, network interruptions, and incorrect device time as possible causes. Follow its authentication troubleshooting steps. If the issue persists, use Authenticator’s Send feedback option to submit diagnostic logs and contact support; work or school users should contact their IT administrator.
Quick Recap
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