If Office activation fails, you'll see Unlicensed Product or Non-commercial use / Unlicensed Product in the title bar of your Office apps, and most features of Office are disabled. To restore all features of Office, you'll need to fix the problem that's causing activation to fail.
- When you can't sign in to your Microsoft account. Content provided by Microsoft. Applies to: Microsoft Account. Select Product Version. If you're worried that someone gained unauthorized access to your account, see Recover your Microsoft account and Microsoft account security info & verification codes.
- Sep 16, 2019 If Mail on your Mac keeps asking for your password Mail may say that it can't connect to your email account, and repeatedly ask you to enter the password for it. If your Mac is connected to the Internet but suddenly starts asking for your password, you should generally try again later, and if necessary work with your email provider to resolve.
If your Mac is connected to the Internet but suddenly starts asking for your password, you should generally try again later, and if necessary work with your email provider to resolve. If you're using Apple's iCloud Mail, learn how to resolve issues with iCloud Mail.
Why is Mail asking for your password?
Mail asks for your password when it can connect to your email provider, but can't connect to your email account because your email provider isn't accepting your email password.
Your email provider may reject your password for several reasons, including:
- You're not using your current email password. If you updated the password on another device, make sure that you're using the same password on your Mac.
- Your email provider needs you to update or reset your password for security reasons. For example, if you're using Google’s two-step verification, your Gmail account in Mail requires the appropriate app-specific password.
- Your email provider deactivated or suspended your account. Contact your email provider for help.
Check your password in Internet Accounts preferences
Depending on the type of email account you're using, you might be able to correct the password as follows:
- Quit Mail. If it doesn't quit, you can force it to quit.
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Internet Accounts.
- Select your mail account in the sidebar.
- If you see a password field for your account, delete the password and type the correct password.
- Close System Preferences, then open Mail and try using your account again.
If Mail still asks for your password, the password is probably incorrect. Your email provider can help you verify your email settings and make sure that you're using the correct password.
Test using webmail
Many email providers offer webmail, which is a way to use email with a web browser such as Safari, instead of with an email app such as Mail. For example, if you're using an iCloud Mail account, you can use iCloud.com to send and receive email.
Because the password that you use with Mail is usually the same password that you use with webmail, try signing in to webmail with that password. If it doesn't work there either, your password is probably incorrect. Your email provider can help you verify your email settings and make sure that you're using the correct password for the Mail app.
Learn more
- If you're using Apple's iCloud Mail, learn how to resolve issues with iCloud Mail. The password that you use with iCloud Mail is your Apple ID password. Learn what to do if you forgot your Apple ID password or want to change your Apple ID password.
- If you forgot or want to change the email password for a different email service, contact the email provider or request a password reset from their website.
Why Microsoft Saying Account Can't Edit On Mac Computer
-->This article answers common questions about the Microsoft Authenticator app. If you don't see an answer to your question, go to the Microsoft Authenticator app forum.
The Microsoft Authenticator app replaced the Azure Authenticator app, and is the recommended app when you use Azure Multi-Factor Authentication. The Microsoft Authenticator app is available for Android and iOS.
Frequently asked questions
Question | Solution |
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Can I take screenshots of my OTP codes on the Android Microsoft Authenticator? | As of Microsoft Authenticator Android release 6.2003.1704, by default, when a screenshot of the Authenticator is taken, all OTP codes are hidden to better protect our users. If a user would like to see their OTP codes in screenshots or allow other apps to capture the Authenticator's screen, they can do so by enabling the 'Screen Capture' setting in their Authenticator app and then restarting the app. |
What data does the Authenticator store on my behalf and how can I delete it? | The Microsoft Authenticator app collects three types of information:
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What are the codes in the app for? | When you open the Microsoft Authenticator app, you'll see your added accounts as tiles. After tapping the Contoso account tile, Katy sees the verification code in the full screen view and enters 895823 to finish signing in. |
Why does the number next to the code keep counting down? | You might see a 30-second timer counting down next to your active verification code. This timer is so that you never sign in using the same code twice. Unlike a password, we don't want you to remember this number. The idea is that only someone with access to your phone knows your code. |
Why is my account tile gray? | Some organizations require the Microsoft Authenticator app to work with single sign-on and to protect organizational resources. In this situation, the account isn't used for two-step verification and shows up as gray or inactive. This type of account is frequently called a 'broker' account. |
What is device registration? | Your org might want you to register the device so they can understand if devices are accessing secured resources, such as files and apps. They also might turn on Conditional Access to reduce the risk of unwanted access to those resources. You can unregister your device in Settings, but you may lose access to emails in Outlook, files in OneDrive, and you'll lose the ability to use phone sign-in. |
Do I need to be connected to the Internet or my network to get and use the verification codes? | The codes don't require you to be on the Internet or connected to data, so you don't need phone service to sign in. Additionally, because the app stops running as soon as you close it, it won't drain your battery. |
I only get notifications when the app is open. If the app is closed, I don't get notifications. | If you're getting notifications, but not an alert, even with your ringer on, you should check your app settings. Make sure the app is turned on to use sound or to vibrate for notifications. If you don't get notifications at all, you should check the following:
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I'm using the verification codes in the app, but how do I switch to the push notifications? | You can set this up for your work or school account (if turned on by your administrator) or for your personal Microsoft account, but notifications won't work for third-party accounts, like Google or Facebook. To switch your personal account over to notifications you'll have to re-register your device with the account. Go to Add Account, select Personal Microsoft Account, and then sign in using your username and password. Your organization decides whether to allow one-click notifications for your work or school account, so your organization might turn off this feature. |
Do notifications work for non-Microsoft accounts | No, notifications only work with Microsoft accounts and Azure Active Directory accounts. If your work or school uses Azure AD accounts, they might turn off this feature. |
I got a new device or restored my device from a backup. How do I set up my accounts in the Microsoft Authenticator app again? | If you're running an iOS or an Android device, and if you've turned on Cloud Backup on your old device, you can use your old backup to recover your account credentials on your new device. For more info, see the Backup and recover account credentials with the Microsoft Authenticator app article. |
I lost my device or moved on to a new device. How do I make sure notifications don't continue to go to my old device? | Adding the Microsoft Authenticator app to your new device won't automatically remove the app from your old device. Even deleting the app from your old device isn't enough. You must both delete the app from your old device and tell Microsoft or your organization to forget the old device and unregister it from your account.
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How do I remove an account from the app? |
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Why does the app request so many permissions? | Here's the full list of permissions that might be asked for, and how they're used by the app. The specific permissions you see will depend on the type of phone you have.
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Why does the Microsoft Authenticator app allow you to approve a request without unlocking the device? | You don't have to unlock your device to approve verification requests because all you need to prove is that you have your phone with you. Two-step verification requires proving two things – a thing you know, and a thing you have. The thing you know is your password. The thing you have is your phone (set up with the Microsoft Authenticator app and registered as an MFA proof.) Therefore, having the phone and approving the request meets the criteria for the second factor of authentication. |
Why aren't all my accounts showing up when I open the Microsoft Authenticator app on my Apple Watch? | The Microsoft Authenticator app only supports using Microsoft personal or school or work accounts with push notifications on the Apple Watch companion app. For your other accounts, like Google or Facebook, you'll have to open the authenticator app on your phone to view your verification codes. |
Why can't I approve or deny notifications on my Apple Watch? | First, make sure you've upgraded to the Microsoft Authenticator app, version 6.0.0 or higher on your iPhone. After that, open the Microsoft Authenticator companion app on your Apple Watch and look for any accounts with a Set Up button beneath them. You must complete that set up process to approve notifications for those accounts. |
I'm getting a communication error between the Apple Watch and my phone. What can I do to troubleshoot? | This error happens when your Watch screen goes to sleep before it finishes communicating with your phone. If this happens during setup: Try to run setup again, making sure to keep your Watch awake until the process is done. At the same time, open the app on your phone and respond to any prompts that appear. If your phone and Watch still aren't communicating, you can try the following:
The next time you try to approve a notification on your Apple Watch, keep the screen awake until the request is complete and you hear the sound that indicates it was successful. |
Why isn't the Microsoft Authenticator companion app for Apple Watch syncing or showing up on my watch? | If the app isn't showing up on your Watch, try the following:
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My Apple Watch companion app crashed. Can I send you my crash logs so you can investigate? | You first have to make sure you've chosen to share your analytics with us. If you're a TestFlight user, you're already signed up. Otherwise, you can go to Settings > Privacy > Analytics and select both the Share iPhone & Watch analytics and the Share with App Developers options. After you sign up, you can try to reproduce your crash so your crash logs are automatically sent to us for investigation. However, if you can't reproduce your crash, you can manually copy your log files and send them to us.
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What is the App Lock feature, and how does it help to keep me more secure? | To keep your one-time passcodes, app information, and app settings more secure, you can turn on the App Lock feature in the Microsoft Authenticator app. Turning on App Lock from the Settings screen of the Microsoft Authenticator app means you'll be asked to authenticate using your PIN or biometric every time you open the Microsoft Authenticator app. This feature offers extra protection, the way you approve your notifications in the Microsoft Authenticator app won't change. Note Because device registration can happen in other locations outside of the Microsoft Authenticator app, such as in the Company Portal app or within Android account settings, there's no guarantee that App Lock will stop a user from accessing the Microsoft Authenticator app. |
Why am I getting notifications about my account activity? | To help keep you more informed about what's going on with your personal Microsoft account, we're sending activity notifications to your Microsoft Authenticator app. These notifications appear immediately after something changes, helping to keep you more secure. We previously sent these notifications through email and SMS, and have now expanded to include the app. For more information about these activity notifications, see What happens if there's an unusual sign-in to your account. To change where you receive your notifications, sign in to the Where can we contact you with non-critical account alerts page of your account. |
While signing in to my work or school account using the default mail app that comes with iOS, I get prompted by the Microsoft Authenticator app for my security verification information. After I enter that information and return to the mail app, I get an error. What can I do? | This most-likely happens because your sign-in and your mail app are occurring across two different apps, causing the initial background sign-in process to stop working and to fail. To try to fix this, we recommend you select the Safari icon on the bottom right side of the screen while signing in to your mail app. By moving to Safari, the whole sign-in process happens in a single app, allowing you to sign in to the app successfully. |
My one-time password (OTP) codes are not working. What should I do? | Make sure the date and time on your device are correct and are being automatically synced. If the date and time is wrong, or out of sync, the code won't work. |
The Windows 10 Mobile operating system was deprecated December 2019. Will the Microsoft Authenticator on Windows Mobile operating systems be deprecated as well? | The Microsoft Authenticator app on all Windows Mobile operating systems will not be supported after Feb 28, 2020. Users will not be eligible for receiving any new updates to the app post the aforementioned date. After Feb 28, 2020 Microsoft services that currently support authentications using the Microsoft Authenticator on all Windows Mobile operating systems will begin to retire their support. In order to authenticate into Microsoft services, we strongly encourage all our users to switch to an alternate authentication mechanism prior to this date. |
Next steps
Edit Microsoft Account Name
If you're having trouble getting your verification code for your personal Microsoft account, see the Troubleshooting verification code issues section of the Microsoft account security info & verification codes article.
If you want more information about two-step verification, see Set up my account for two-step verification
If you want more information about security info, see Security info (preview) overview
If your question wasn't answered here, we want to hear from you. Go to the Microsoft Authenticator app forum to post your question and get help from the community, or leave a comment on this page.