A missing Authenticator push notification is usually a phone-side notification setting or connectivity issue, not a problem with your Microsoft 365 account configuration.
Common Symptoms
- Sign-in shows “Waiting for you to approve…” but no notification arrives on the phone
- The approval request eventually times out
- Notifications arrive late, well after the sign-in attempt has already expired
Possible Causes
- Phone notifications disabled for the Authenticator app
- Battery optimization killing the app in the background
- Poor mobile data/Wi-Fi connectivity on the phone at the moment of sign-in
- The wrong account selected inside the Authenticator app (if multiple accounts are configured)
Before You Begin
Open the Authenticator app manually and pull down to refresh — if a pending request appears once you open the app, notifications are the issue, not the underlying MFA setup.
Method 1 — Check phone notification settings
Review app notification permissions
On the phone, go to Settings → Apps → Microsoft Authenticator → Notifications, and ensure they’re enabled.
Disable battery optimization for the app
On Android, disable battery optimization specifically for Authenticator so the OS doesn’t suspend its background connection.
Method 2 — Confirm the correct account is active
Check for multiple accounts
If more than one Microsoft account is added in the app, confirm the work/school account matches the one you’re signing into.
Method 3 — Use a backup verification method
Ask affected users whether the delay happens on Wi-Fi, mobile data, or both — a pattern limited to one network points to that network blocking push notification traffic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can this be an account lockout rather than a notification problem?
It’s worth ruling out — if approval requests never even appear as “pending” in the app after refreshing, escalate to an administrator to check the account’s MFA method registration.
Conclusion
Checking phone notification and battery settings resolves the majority of missed Authenticator prompts — the number-matching fallback is a reliable workaround while investigating further.
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