Fix MSFS stuck on Waiting for Authentication or Xbox sign-in loops on PC and Xbox with account, Gaming Services, clock and network checks.
Fix Microsoft Flight Simulator when it is stuck on Waiting for authentication by fully quitting it and restarting the device. On PC, re-sign into the Xbox app and Microsoft Store, synchronise Windows’ clock and update Gaming Services. On Xbox, discard Quick Resume and reconnect the profile. Also test without VPN or network filtering.
Why is Microsoft Flight Simulator waiting for authentication?
The message means Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or 2024 cannot complete its Microsoft/Xbox account check. The usual causes are an expired sign-in token, mismatched Store and Xbox accounts, a Gaming Services fault, an incorrect system clock, a service interruption or blocked network traffic.
Authentication happens before the simulator loads its aircraft and scenery packages. Community add-ons are therefore unlikely to cause this particular screen, so do not start by deleting the Community or Official folders.
| What you see | Most likely cause |
|---|---|
| The Xbox app cannot load your profile either | Account, Windows identity or Xbox service problem |
| Microsoft Store and Xbox app show different accounts | Possible licence or entitlement mismatch |
| Sign-in works through a phone hotspot | Router, DNS, VPN or network-filtering problem |
The simulator reaches Checking for updates | Authentication is fixed; the remaining problem is content or connectivity related |
How do I fix the MSFS Xbox sign-in loop on PC?
On Windows, refresh the account credentials before repairing or reinstalling the simulator.
- Close every related application. Exit Microsoft Flight Simulator, the Xbox app and Microsoft Store. Use Task Manager if the simulator remains active in the background, then restart Windows.
- Check whether the fault is broader than MSFS. Open the Xbox app and confirm that it can display your gamertag and library. If the app and Microsoft Store are both failing, changing simulator files will not help; wait for the account or service fault to clear.
- Synchronise the Windows clock. Under Windows date and time settings, enable automatic time and time-zone detection where appropriate, then use the manual synchronisation option. Microsoft account tokens can be rejected when the clock is wrong.
- Refresh both account sessions. Sign out of Microsoft Store and the Xbox app, close them, reboot, then sign into Microsoft Store first and the Xbox app second. Complete any security verification prompted after a password, alias or recovery-information change.
- Install account-service updates. Update Windows, the Xbox app, Microsoft Store and Gaming Services. Restart again after Gaming Services or Windows installs an update.
- Repair the account applications. In Windows Settings under installed apps, open the advanced options for the Xbox app and Gaming Services, then choose Repair. Repair Microsoft Store as well where that option is offered. Use Reset only if repair fails, because reset signs the app out and clears its local data.
- Test an unfiltered connection. Temporarily pause any VPN, proxy, DNS filter, security web filter or network-wide advert blocker. A phone hotspot is a useful short authentication test; stop before MSFS begins downloading large packages. If the hotspot works, correct the home-network filter rather than reinstalling the simulator.
- Launch through the correct client. Start Store and Game Pass installations from the Xbox app, or a Steam installation from Steam. Avoid swapping Windows users or Microsoft accounts between attempts.
Do not permanently disable firewall or security protection. Restore it after testing and permit Microsoft Flight Simulator, Microsoft Store, Xbox and Gaming Services through the relevant filter instead. Port forwarding is rarely the first answer to an authentication failure.
If the simulator still refuses to open, follow our deeper PC checks for Xbox identity, Gaming Services and update-screen failures.
Which Microsoft account should I use?
Use the account that holds the required entitlement and the Xbox profile whose cloud data you intend to keep. A mistake we see constantly is creating or selecting a fresh gamertag simply to get past the prompt, after which Marketplace purchases, logbook data or settings appear to be missing.
- Microsoft Store purchase or PC Game Pass: the Store account must hold the purchase or active subscription. The Xbox app should normally use the same Microsoft account unless you deliberately maintain separate purchasing and gaming accounts.
- Steam purchase: Steam supplies the game licence, but Microsoft Flight Simulator still requires a Microsoft/Xbox profile for its online identity. Microsoft Store does not need to own the Steam copy.
- Changed password or account alias: sign out everywhere and authenticate again rather than relying on the cached token.
For MSFS 2024, our first-time PC account setup notes explain how Steam, Microsoft Store and Xbox identities fit together.
How do I fix Waiting for Authentication on Xbox?
A full quit usually fixes an expired Xbox token that Quick Resume has preserved.
- Quit the simulator completely. Highlight Microsoft Flight Simulator from the Xbox guide, open its options and choose Quit. Remove it from Quick Resume if it appears there.
- Restart the console. Use the console’s restart command rather than putting it into sleep or immediately resuming the game.
- Reconnect the correct profile. Confirm that the profile owning the game or Game Pass entitlement is signed in and can access other online Xbox features.
- Check updates and connectivity. Install pending console and simulator updates, then run the console’s built-in network test.
- Re-add the profile only as a last account step. Sign out and back in first. Remove and add the Xbox profile again only when you know its email address, password and security details. Do not delete local saved data as part of an authentication test.
If ownership, updates or profile selection remain unclear, work through our Xbox Series X|S profile and entitlement checks.
Can the Xbox sign-in error appear on Steam or PS5?
Yes—the wording refers to Microsoft’s Xbox identity service, not necessarily an Xbox console. Steam users still authenticate an Xbox profile inside Microsoft Flight Simulator even though Steam holds the game licence.
On PlayStation 5, this applies only to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024; MSFS 2020 was never released for PlayStation. Fully close MSFS 2024 instead of leaving it suspended, restart the console and use the Microsoft account previously associated with your simulator profile if prompted.
What if MSFS gets past authentication but checks for updates forever?
Once the screen changes to Checking for updates, the account authentication has succeeded. A hang there points instead to content-server access, installation data, Gaming Services or another network restriction; repeatedly changing Microsoft accounts can create a second problem without fixing the first.
Should I reinstall Microsoft Flight Simulator?
No—reinstallation should be the last resort for a sign-in error. It forces a potentially large download but does not repair a service outage, an incorrect account, a blocked authentication request or a server-side account link.
Consider reinstalling only after the Xbox app can sign in reliably, the correct entitlement appears, another network produces the same result, and Windows app repair has failed. If one Microsoft account fails while another authenticates on the same device and connection, the evidence points to an account-level fault rather than damaged simulator files.