Microsoft verification code not received?

First check whether Microsoft is sending codes at all. Below is a live count of Microsoft codes reaching our public numbers, then the fixes that usually work.

Is Microsoft sending codes right now?

Microsoft sends too few codes to our numbers to judge the last hour. The counts below are the best guide.

Numbers that got codes (7 days)

481

This counts Microsoft codes reaching our public numbers. If Microsoft is delivering here but not to your phone, the problem is most likely the number, your phone or your carrier. Work through the steps below.

What to try

1. Check the number format: pick the right country and drop the leading 0 (07700 900123 becomes +44 7700 900123).
2. Wait a full minute before pressing resend. With many apps only the newest code works, so resending too early can cancel the first one.
3. Stop after two or three requests. Microsoft limits how many codes it sends and may stop sending for a while without telling you.
4. Look for another way to get the code: a phone call, an email, or the code shown in the app on a device where you are already signed in.
5. On your own phone: check your signal, turn airplane mode on and off, and look in your spam or unknown-sender filters.
6. On a free number: pick one that received a Microsoft code recently, and switch numbers instead of retrying one that failed.

Microsoft tips

• Request the code once and wait. The number’s inbox checks for new messages every 10 seconds.
• If Microsoft only offers a call, pick another number: calls never reach an SMS-only inbox.
• Afterwards, add your own phone or a recovery email in your Microsoft account security settings, then remove this number.

Free numbers that recently received Microsoft codes