Authenticator keeps saying "Sign in to update your backup" when I select "Settings"

Question

Authenticator keeps saying "Sign in to update your backup" when I select "Settings"

Matt Seitz 45

On my iPad, whenever I open Authenticator and select Settings, I keep getting a popup titled ""Sign in to update your backup". When I tap the OK button, I get a popup titled "Something went wrong".

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G C 0 Reputation points

2026-05-03T18:35:06.2266667+00:00

Did the above AI answer solve this?

im in the same boat but cannot reinstall as the app didn’t back up to iCloud so if i reinstall it’ll not show me the correct amount.

I think Microsoft don’t know about this issue
BeeDon 0 Reputation points

2026-05-04T00:23:32.89+00:00

I have the same problem. However, the "Q&A Assist" answer in #3 says to go to Settings > Backup (etc.) but in Settings, after clearing the above dialogs, I don't have a "Backup" entry.

I am afraid to delete Authenticator because it seems that maybe I don't have a working backup.

Additionally - Authenticator on my iPad has 7 accounts but I have 12 on my iPhone (primary device). One of the codes on iPad is not on iPhone. Both are backing up to iCloud in separate backups.
Matt Seitz 45 Reputation points

2026-05-05T03:59:16.9133333+00:00
@BeeDon Yeah, I don't have a "Backup" entry in the Microsoft Authenticator app's settings page, either. I think that part is outdated, and that authenticator backup is now enabled via the Settings app (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/authenticator/back-up-your-accounts-in-microsoft-authenticator).

I also noticed that my iPad and iPhone account lists didn't match. From what I've read, installing Microsoft Authenticator on a second device will initially import the list of accounts from the first device. But after that, new accounts on one device won't automatically be added on the other device.

Here's what I did:

Determine which accounts were present on only one of my iOS devices.

On my laptop, go to the web sites for each of those accounts and trigger a new QR code for MFA. This often requires disabling MFA on the web site and then reactivating it.

When each new QR code is displayed, scan the same QR code from both devices. That will add the account on both devices. Verify that both devices are now showing the same authentication code for the account.

Once I had all of my accounts present on both devices, I went to the device that was reporting the backup error. I deleted the Authenticator from that device and then reinstalled it.

After that, I no longer saw the backup error on that device.

Going forward, I now know I will need to scan any new MFA QR codes on both devices when I set up MFA for an account. But with 1. Passkeys now seeming to replace MFA authentication codes and 2. Microsoft Password Manager in Edge synchronizing Passkeys across devices, I'm now hoping this may not be as much of an issue in the future (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/what-are-passkeys-and-why-they-matter-301c8944-5ea2-452b-9886-97e4d2ef4422).
Matt Seitz 45 Reputation points

2026-05-05T18:55:10.9533333+00:00

@BeeDon I should clarify; when I deleted and reinstalled Authenticator on the device that was reporting the error, all of my account MFA codes were restored to that device once I logged into my Microsoft account from Authenticator on that device.

Answer accepted by question author

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G C 0 Reputation points

2026-05-03T18:35:06.2266667+00:00

Did the above AI answer solve this?

im in the same boat but cannot reinstall as the app didn’t back up to iCloud so if i reinstall it’ll not show me the correct amount.

I think Microsoft don’t know about this issue
BeeDon 0 Reputation points

2026-05-04T00:23:32.89+00:00

I have the same problem. However, the "Q&A Assist" answer in #3 says to go to Settings > Backup (etc.) but in Settings, after clearing the above dialogs, I don't have a "Backup" entry.

I am afraid to delete Authenticator because it seems that maybe I don't have a working backup.

Additionally - Authenticator on my iPad has 7 accounts but I have 12 on my iPhone (primary device). One of the codes on iPad is not on iPhone. Both are backing up to iCloud in separate backups.
Matt Seitz 45 Reputation points

2026-05-05T03:59:16.9133333+00:00

@BeeDon Yeah, I don't have a "Backup" entry in the Microsoft Authenticator app's settings page, either. I think that part is outdated, and that authenticator backup is now enabled via the Settings app (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/authenticator/back-up-your-accounts-in-microsoft-authenticator).

I also noticed that my iPad and iPhone account lists didn't match. From what I've read, installing Microsoft Authenticator on a second device will initially import the list of accounts from the first device. But after that, new accounts on one device won't automatically be added on the other device.

Here's what I did:

Determine which accounts were present on only one of my iOS devices.

On my laptop, go to the web sites for each of those accounts and trigger a new QR code for MFA. This often requires disabling MFA on the web site and then reactivating it.

When each new QR code is displayed, scan the same QR code from both devices. That will add the account on both devices. Verify that both devices are now showing the same authentication code for the account.

Once I had all of my accounts present on both devices, I went to the device that was reporting the backup error. I deleted the Authenticator from that device and then reinstalled it.

After that, I no longer saw the backup error on that device.

Going forward, I now know I will need to scan any new MFA QR codes on both devices when I set up MFA for an account. But with 1. Passkeys now seeming to replace MFA authentication codes and 2. Microsoft Password Manager in Edge synchronizing Passkeys across devices, I'm now hoping this may not be as much of an issue in the future (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/what-are-passkeys-and-why-they-matter-301c8944-5ea2-452b-9886-97e4d2ef4422).
Matt Seitz 45 Reputation points

2026-05-05T18:55:10.9533333+00:00

@BeeDon I should clarify; when I deleted and reinstalled Authenticator on the device that was reporting the error, all of my account MFA codes were restored to that device once I logged into my Microsoft account from Authenticator on that device.

Answer 1

On iOS, the “Sign in to update your backup” and “Something went wrong” loop typically means the Authenticator backup can’t complete because the backup account or iCloud backup prerequisites aren’t fully set up or are out of date.

Use these steps to clear and re-establish the backup on iPad:

Verify backup prerequisites
- Ensure the iPad is signed in to the correct iCloud account.
- Turn on iCloud Drive, iCloud Keychain, and iCloud Backup for the device.
- In the iCloud settings, go to the Saved to iCloud list, search for Authenticator, and make sure the toggle for Authenticator is turned on.
Update Authenticator
- Make sure Microsoft Authenticator is updated to version 6.8.33 or later from the App Store.
- Open Authenticator at least once after updating so it can register with iCloud backup.
Reset the backup state
- In Authenticator, go to Settings.
- Under Backup, turn iCloud backup off (if it appears on), then turn it back on and sign in with the intended Microsoft personal account when prompted.
- If the backup was created with the wrong account, turn backup off to delete it, then turn it on again and choose Change account to sign in with the correct backup account.
If the loop persists
- Uninstall Authenticator from the iPad.
- Reinstall it from the App Store.
- Sign in again and re-enable iCloud backup under Settings → Backup.

These steps align with how Authenticator backup and restore work on iOS and typically resolve backup/sign-in errors like the one shown.

References:

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Authenticator keeps saying "Sign in to update your backup" when I select "Settings"

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