Symptoms
A push approval shows a number-matching request on the phone but it differs from the current desktop sign-in screen. This guide addresses that particular contrast, not every fault that can occur with the product or service.
- Observable failure: A push approval shows a number-matching request on the phone but it differs from the current desktop sign-in screen.
- Control test: Compare request timestamps and the active sign-in session on both trusted screens.
- A confirmed correction must meet this outcome: One newly initiated legitimate sign-in shows the matching number on both screens.
One successful test is a useful clue, but a reliable resolution should survive reopening the application or repeating the original workflow without extra workarounds.
Why It Happens
A credential prompt is a security boundary, not merely a convenience screen. A successful unlock of a local password vault does not establish that the website or app can safely receive an autofill suggestion. Account recovery, passkey location and sign-in policy must be evaluated separately.
An apparent failure of the whole system can originate in one stage. In this case, investigate old pending approval request before treating different account sign-in in another browser tab or unrecognized login attempt as facts.
Three competing explanations
- Old pending approval request.
- Different account sign-in in another browser tab.
- Unrecognized login attempt.
These are hypotheses. Do not infer a hardware defect, account restriction or network outage from one status indicator alone. A result that supports old pending approval request does not automatically exclude different account sign-in in another browser tab; the comparison needs to separate them.
Before Making Changes
Keep another legitimate sign-in route available and never disclose active codes, recovery material or vault exports to anyone. Never approve a request merely because it appears on the phone.
Preserve the current state: note the affected product or account, current mode and time of the failed attempt. If settings will be changed, photograph or write down their original values. Keep copies of any unique files or evidence before overwriting anything.
Use a non-sensitive sample whenever possible. If the issue involves a shared device, building system, workplace account or regulated equipment, obtain the appropriate owner or administrator permission first. Stop if the test would compromise security, electrical protection, access or an animal's welfare.
Problem-Specific Diagnosis
Run this discriminating test before restarting or resetting the entire system: Compare request timestamps and the active sign-in session on both trusted screens. Compare the observed result against the three paths below.
| Observation or suspected layer | Interpretation | Next controlled check |
|---|---|---|
| Old pending approval request | If the failing state changes under the comparison, old pending approval request is plausible. This is not yet proof. | Repeat with that one factor changed, then return to baseline. |
| Different account sign-in in another browser tab | If the first change has no effect but a supported configuration differs, different account sign-in in another browser tab moves higher on the list. | Inspect the relevant option or documented behavior without clearing unrelated settings. |
| Unrecognized login attempt | If both earlier paths are contradicted, investigate whether unrecognized login attempt accounts for the timing or device-specific result. | Collect an event timestamp or status report for qualified support. |
Now apply the least-disruptive change that corresponds to the evidence: Deny mismatched prompts, close stale login windows and initiate one new request through the official service. Avoid treating all three hypotheses at once; simultaneous changes erase the diagnostic value of the test.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
Begin with reversible comparisons. Use Advanced only if the evidence points to a deeper problem.
Verify the affected workflow
A push approval shows a number-matching request on the phone but it differs from the current desktop sign-in screen. Write down where it happens, its most recent time and the state displayed by the product. Do not treat a nearby working feature as proof the whole path is healthy.
Run the safe comparison
Compare request timestamps and the active sign-in session on both trusted screens. Use the same device, account and operating conditions where practical. Note what remains unchanged so the comparison is meaningful.
Try the smallest safe intervention
Deny mismatched prompts, close stale login windows and initiate one new request through the official service. Make one adjustment at a time and preserve the previous value so it can be restored if the result becomes worse.
Confirm the real outcome
One newly initiated legitimate sign-in shows the matching number on both screens. Repeat the complete user-facing operation and then make sure unrelated protections and functions still work. If the result is inconsistent, restore the previous setting and continue diagnosis.
Separate the three suspected layers
Assess evidence for old pending approval request, different account sign-in in another browser tab and unrecognized login attempt separately. A positive result for one path is not evidence for every path. Preserve before-and-after observations, including timestamps.
Check the responsible subsystem
Review account sign-in events and registered authenticator devices; rotate credentials through official recovery if unknown prompts persist. Gather only logs and supported diagnostic views that apply to this exact scenario; do not change service-wide policy or hardware wiring.
Validate the unaffected path
Revisit the comparison: Compare request timestamps and the active sign-in session on both trusted screens. If the first suspected cause is not supported, compare the behavior predicted by different account sign-in in another browser tab with the behavior predicted by unrecognized login attempt. Keep the first correction reversible.
Commit or escalate with evidence
Confirm: One newly initiated legitimate sign-in shows the matching number on both screens. If that cannot be reproduced, restore the original safe configuration and send sanitized observations to the identity provider or password manager's official account-recovery support. Safety boundary: Never approve a request merely because it appears on the phone.
Solution Checklist
Solution Checklist
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming old pending approval request is proven simply because the visible symptom matches this page.
- Changing multiple accounts, rules, connections or device settings before running the control: Compare request timestamps and the active sign-in session on both trusted screens.
- Skipping this safety boundary: Never approve a request merely because it appears on the phone.
- Resetting, formatting, deleting credentials or replacing hardware without a confirmed backup, a supported recovery path and evidence that the step is necessary.
A setting that makes one symptom disappear is not always the correct permanent configuration. If it disables another essential function, revert it and investigate the underlying dependency rather than leaving an unsafe workaround in place.
How to Verify the Fix
The primary pass condition is specific: One newly initiated legitimate sign-in shows the matching number on both screens. Repeat the original workflow, not a loosely related shortcut, and confirm both the previously failing behavior and an unaffected comparison still work.
- Record the before-and-after state in the same location, account and operating mode.
- Repeat the original comparison: Compare request timestamps and the active sign-in session on both trusted screens.
- Check the stated pass result: One newly initiated legitimate sign-in shows the matching number on both screens.
- Confirm that normal security, notification, storage or physical safety protections remain enabled.
If the result works only once or disappears after reopening the app, reconnecting the accessory or waiting for the next scheduled event, treat the issue as intermittent instead of fixed. Keep the event time and what changed between attempts.
If the Problem Continues
If the safe correction does not work, move to a focused deeper investigation: Review account sign-in events and registered authenticator devices; rotate credentials through official recovery if unknown prompts persist. This is a different path from the first settings check; use it only if the device or service supports the required diagnostics.
When escalating to the identity provider or password manager's official account-recovery support, provide the exact symptom, result of the control test, changes already tried, time of occurrence and any non-sensitive error or status data. Explain whether old pending approval request, different account sign-in in another browser tab and unrecognized login attempt were supported or contradicted by evidence.
Do not share account recovery codes, private documents, live access tokens, sensitive location histories or full recordings merely to prove the problem. Redact or summarize identifiers before opening a public support request.
Prevent Recurrence
Keep a short reference note with the working configuration and the successful check: One newly initiated legitimate sign-in shows the matching number on both screens. After an app update, firmware change, network migration or scheduled clock change, run the same short test before depending on the function again.
Watch for the condition that originally made the failure visible: A push approval shows a number-matching request on the phone but it differs from the current desktop sign-in screen. Where practical, retain an alternative approved way to perform the essential task so that one device, cloud service or interface does not become a single point of failure.
FAQ
How can I tell whether old pending approval request is responsible?
Run the controlled comparison: Compare request timestamps and the active sign-in session on both trusted screens. A change that specifically affects the failing layer supports this hypothesis, but repeat it before changing permanent settings.
What if the real cause is different account sign-in in another browser tab rather than old pending approval request?
Do not repeat the initial correction blindly. Check the supported diagnostic path: Review account sign-in events and registered authenticator devices; rotate credentials through official recovery if unknown prompts persist. Keep the earlier working configuration recorded so you can reverse the test.
When is this particular issue resolved?
The decisive result is: One newly initiated legitimate sign-in shows the matching number on both screens. If it fails after the normal workflow is repeated, document whether unrecognized login attempt still explains the remaining behavior and escalate with non-sensitive observations.