Moving your authenticator app to a new phone
In short
- Google Authenticator: on the old phone, choose Transfer accounts, then Export accounts, and scan the QR code with the new phone.
- Microsoft Authenticator: turn on backup on the old phone, then tap Begin recovery on the new one with the same personal Microsoft account.
- Keep the old phone until you’ve signed in to your main accounts with the new one.
Codes in an authenticator app live on your phone. Move them before you reset, sell or recycle it.
Google Authenticator
On the old phone, open the menu, choose Transfer accounts, then Export accounts, and select the accounts to move. The app shows a QR code, or several if you have many accounts. On the new phone, choose Scan QR code. If the camera struggles, export fewer accounts at a time. Google Authenticator can also back up your codes to your Google Account, so they appear when you sign in on the new phone.
Microsoft Authenticator
- You need a personal Microsoft account to hold the backup.
- On iPhone, the backup goes to iCloud; on Android, to Microsoft’s cloud. Turn it on in the app’s settings.
- On the new phone, don’t sign in first: tap Begin recovery and sign in with the same personal Microsoft account.
- Backups don’t move between iPhone and Android.
- Some accounts ask you to sign in again before their codes work.
Keep the old phone for now
Microsoft suggests keeping the old phone until you’ve confirmed you can sign in to the accounts you use most from the new one.
If the old phone is gone
Use backup codes, or each account’s recovery options, to sign in, then set up the authenticator again. See getting back in without your number.
Why bother with an app
An authenticator app keeps your codes off text messages, so it works after you change number, when you’re abroad, and on accounts you verified with a one-time number. See text codes vs authenticator apps.
Common questions
How do I move Google Authenticator to a new phone?
On the old phone, choose Transfer accounts, then Export accounts, and scan the QR code with the new phone. You can also back up codes to your Google Account.
Can I move Microsoft Authenticator from iPhone to Android?
Not with its backup: Microsoft says backups made on an iPhone can’t be restored on Android.
What if I lost the phone with my authenticator?
Use backup codes or each account’s recovery options to sign in, then set up the authenticator again.