Resolving the "Unable to Complete Your Authentication Flow" Error in Microsoft Office 365

This article provides solutions for addressing the error "we were unable to complete your authentication flow" when accessing Microsoft Office 365 applications on a mobile device.

• Vanderbilt University Community

  • Faculty and Staff

  • Graduate and Professional Students

• VUIT Internal Knowledge  

• Ensure you have access to the Microsoft Authenticator app on your mobile device, if installed.

• Have your VU account credentials available.

Users may encounter the error "we were unable to complete your authentication flow" when trying to access Microsoft Office 365 applications, such as Outlook, Teams, or SharePoint, from a mobile device. This error is caused by the application expecting a Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) response and attempting to route this response through the Microsoft Authenticator app rather than through Duo MultiFactor Authentication.

To resolve this issue, choose one of the following solutions:

Option 1: Uninstall the Microsoft Authenticator App
If the Microsoft Authenticator app is not needed, uninstall the application from your mobile device.

Option 2: Add Your Work or School Account to the Microsoft Authenticator App

1. Open the Microsoft Authenticator app on your mobile device.

2. Tap the plus icon in the top menu bar.

   
3. Select Work or school account.
    
4. Tap Sign in.

5. Enter your work or school account credentials.

6. Follow the prompts:

   • Select Open browser to finish setup in a web browser.

     
   • Tap Continue to the question, "Do you trust [organization domain]?"
      
   • Select Yes to "Stay signed in?"
      

We can help if there are issues. To get assistance, please place a Duo Request ticket.

• Issue: Error persists after uninstalling the Microsoft Authenticator app.
  Resolution: Restart the device and try accessing the Office 365 application again.

• Issue: Unable to sign in to the Microsoft Authenticator app.
  Resolution: Verify your credentials and ensure your account is not locked.

• Removing the Microsoft Authenticator app may affect other 2FA-secured applications. Ensure no other applications require its use before uninstalling.