You didn’t receive a security code

Whenever you access, change personal information, or add new contact information to your Microsoft account, a security code is generated and sent to either an email address or mobile phone number in your account security information. You're then prompted to enter that code to confirm the change. Generally, it only takes a few moments to receive the code.

Your security information is outdated or inaccessible

One reason you might not receive the code is because your security information is outdated and you can’t access it anymore (for example, you changed email addresses or phone numbers).

To resolve this issue, you’ll need to update your security information. To learn how to do this, go to Update all of your Microsoft account security information.

Other reasons you might not receive a code

If you don't promptly receive the security code, the delay could be due to issues with your wireless carrier or your Internet service provider. Here are some things you can try:

1. If you used an email address to get the code, check your junk mail folder.
2. Try waiting a bit longer. Some carriers process requests more slowly than others.
3. If you still don’t get the code, use a different security contact method that’s associated with your account to get the code.

Note If you request a new code, the previous code that you requested becomes invalid. If you enter the previous code, you'll get an error message that states the code isn’t valid.