Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Move authenticator access account by account, and keep your old phone until you have tested sign-ins on the new setup. An app transfer does not automatically move every service’s multi-factor authentication (MFA) enrollment. Before you start, confirm a recovery route for important accounts; then use the authenticator’s documented transfer method or re-enroll with each service.
Before you switch, protect your way back in
Make an inventory of the accounts that use the old authenticator: email, financial services, work or school logins, and any other important services. Each service controls its own MFA enrollment, so changing apps may require transferring an entry or setting up the new app separately in that service’s security settings.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Confirm you can sign in. Check each important account while the old phone and authenticator still work.
- Identify an independent fallback. Check whether the service supports backup codes, a security key, another verified device or number, or another recovery method that does not rely on the old phone.
- Save recovery codes privately. Keep them somewhere secure and accessible if the phone is unavailable. Never give a code to someone who contacts you.
- Check the app’s transfer requirements. Confirm whether the app uses account sync, a cloud backup, or direct export—and which account and device platform are required.
Google says its backup codes are single-use; generating a new set invalidates the previous set. Google currently provides 10 codes per generated set. These details apply to Google Accounts, not to recovery codes generally. See Google’s backup-code instructions.
Choose the right migration path
The available path depends on whether you still have the old phone, whether you are staying with the same authenticator app, and what kind of sign-in method each account uses.
#1 Best Overall
- POWERFUL SECURITY KEY: The Security Key C NFC is the essential physical passkey for protecting your digital life from phishing attacks. It ensures only you can access your accounts.
- WORKS WITH 1000+ ACCOUNTS: Compatible with Google, Microsoft, and Apple. A single Security Key C NFC secures 100 of your favorite accounts, including email, password managers, and more.
- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your Security Key C NFC via USB-C and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC) to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required.
- TRUSTED PASSKEY TECHNOLOGY: Uses the latest passkey standards (FIDO2/WebAuthn & FIDO U2F) but does not support One-Time Passwords. For complex needs, check out the YubiKey 5 Series.
- BUILT TO LAST: Made from tough, waterproof, and crush-resistant materials. Manufactured in Sweden and programmed in the USA with the highest security standards.
| Situation | What to do | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| Same authenticator app; cloud sync or backup was already enabled | Restore or sync using the app maker’s documented process and the required recovery account. | Do not assume the backup restores across operating systems or includes every account entry. |
| Google Authenticator without Google Account sync | Use the old app’s QR export and scan the codes with Google Authenticator on the new device. | You need access to the old app; the QR codes contain sensitive authentication secrets. |
| Switching to a different authenticator app | Check whether both app makers document compatible transfer. If not, plan to re-enroll with each service. | A backup made by one app is not evidence that another app can import it. |
| Old phone unavailable | Use the affected service’s recovery methods, then enroll a new device or app. | Recovery is account-specific; providers do not necessarily recover third-party authenticator secrets. |
Transfer Google Authenticator codes
Google documents two ways to move codes. If you use Google Account sync, signing into that account in Google Authenticator on the new device makes synced codes available there. If you chose “Use without an account,” codes stay on that device and are not available on your other devices through sync.
Use Google Account sync
- Install Google Authenticator on the new phone.
- Sign in to the same Google Account in the app. Synced codes should appear on the new device.
- Test the codes with the services you rely on before retiring the old phone.
Google says synced codes are encrypted in transit and at rest across its products. Its help page lists Android 6.0 or later and iOS 4.0 or later for synchronization; app support details can change, so check the current app listing and help instructions. See Google’s Google Authenticator instructions.
Rank #2
- POWERFUL SECURITY KEY: The YubiKey 5C NFC is the most versatile physical passkey, protecting your digital life from phishing attacks. It ensures only you can access your accounts
- WORKS WITH 1000+ ACCOUNTS: Compatible with popular accounts like Google, Microsoft, and Apple. A single YubiKey 5C NFC secures 100+ of your favorite accounts, including email, password managers, and more
- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your YubiKey 5C NFC via USB and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC), to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required
- MOST SECURE PASSKEY: Supports FIDO2/WebAuthn, FIDO U2F, Yubico OTP, OATH-TOTP/HOTP, Smart card (PIV), and OpenPGP. That means it’s versatile, working almost anywhere you need it
- PRIMARY & SPARE KEYS: Just like having a spare house key, we recommend buying two YubiKeys - one for daily use and one as a spare. That way you’ll never get locked out of your accounts
Export codes from the old phone
- Install the latest Google Authenticator app on the new phone.
- On the old phone, open Google Authenticator and select Transfer codes > Export codes. Select the accounts to move.
- On the new phone, open the app and select Transfer codes > Import codes, then scan the QR code or codes shown by the old phone.
- Check that the expected entries appear and test sign-ins before removing the old app or device.
A transfer of multiple accounts may generate more than one QR code. Treat every export QR code as a secret: do not save or share an unprotected screenshot. Google’s documented process transfers codes within Google Authenticator; it does not establish that a competing authenticator app can import the same export.
Recommended Free Tools
Transfer Microsoft Authenticator entries
Microsoft’s backup and restore process is limited to the same device type: an iOS backup cannot be restored to Android, or vice versa. Follow Microsoft’s current setup instructions for the platform you use. On Android, its guide says to enable Cloud Backup and choose a Microsoft personal recovery account. On iOS, it lists iCloud Drive, iCloud Keychain, iCloud Backup, and Authenticator in the Apple Account’s Saved to iCloud settings. See Microsoft’s backup instructions.
Rank #3
- POWERFUL SECURITY KEY: The YubiKey 5 NFC is the most versatile physical passkey, protecting your digital life from phishing attacks. It ensures only you can access your accounts
- WORKS WITH 1000+ ACCOUNTS: Compatible with popular accounts like Google, Microsoft, and Apple. A single YubiKey 5 NFC secures 100+ of your favorite accounts, including email, password managers, and more
- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your YubiKey 5 NFC via USB and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC), to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required
- MOST SECURE PASSKEY: Supports FIDO2/WebAuthn, FIDO U2F, Yubico OTP, OATH-TOTP/HOTP, Smart card (PIV), and OpenPGP. That means it’s versatile, working almost anywhere you need it
- PRIMARY & SPARE KEYS: Just like having a spare house key, we recommend buying two YubiKeys - one for daily use and one as a spare. That way you’ll never get locked out of your accounts
What comes back depends on the account type and sign-in method:
- Personal Microsoft accounts using one-time codes, and third-party OTP entries: their codes may be restored.
- Work or school accounts: the account name restores, but you must sign in again to complete setup. If your organization manages the account, follow its approved process or contact its administrator.
- Personal Microsoft accounts using passwordless sign-in: setup may need to be completed again.
- Passkeys: these are handled separately from Authenticator account backup. Check whether the passkey is synced in a credential manager, or create and test a new passkey before removing the old device.
Microsoft advises: “Keep your old phone until you confirm that you can sign in to the accounts and resources you use most often.” See Microsoft Learn’s transfer guide.
Rank #4
- POWERFUL SECURITY KEY: The Security Key NFC is the essential physical passkey for protecting your digital life from phishing attacks. It ensures only you can access your accounts.
- WORKS WITH 1000+ ACCOUNTS: Compatible with Google, Microsoft, and Apple. A single Security Key NFC secures 100 of your favorite accounts, including email, password managers, and more.
- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your Security Key NFC via USB-A and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC) to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required.
- TRUSTED PASSKEY TECHNOLOGY: Uses the latest passkey standards (FIDO2/WebAuthn & FIDO U2F) but does not support One-Time Passwords. For complex needs, check out the YubiKey 5 Series.
- BUILT TO LAST: Made from tough, waterproof, and crush-resistant materials. Manufactured in Sweden and programmed in the USA with the highest security standards.
If you are changing to a different authenticator app
Do not treat the old app’s backup as a portable file unless both app makers explicitly document compatibility. If there is no documented cross-app transfer, move accounts individually through each service’s security settings: sign in using a working method, enroll the new authenticator, and confirm a code or approval before removing the old method. The exact steps differ by service; there is no universal cross-app procedure established here.
Keep code-based OTP, push approval, passwordless sign-in, and passkeys distinct. Moving an OTP entry does not by itself prove that push approvals or passkeys are ready on the new phone.
Best Value
- POWERFUL SECURITY KEY: The YubiKey 5 is a versatile physical passkey that protects your digital life from phishing attacks. It ensures only you can access your accounts.
- WORKS WITH 1000+ ACCOUNTS: Compatible with popular accounts like Google, Microsoft, and Apple. A single YubiKey 5 secures 100+ of your favorite accounts, including email, password managers, and more.
- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your YubiKey 5 via USB and tap it to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required.
- MOST SECURE PASSKEY: Supports FIDO2/WebAuthn, FIDO U2F, Yubico OTP, OATH-TOTP/HOTP, Smart card (PIV), and OpenPGP. That means it’s versatile, working almost anywhere you need it.
- BUILT TO LAST: Made from tough, waterproof, and crush-resistant materials. Manufactured in Sweden and programmed in the USA with the highest security standards.
If the old phone is already gone
Recover access through each account provider, not through the missing authenticator app. For a Google Account, possible routes include another phone already signed in, another number added to 2-Step Verification, a previously saved backup code, a registered hardware security key, a passkey on another device, or Google Account recovery. Which options work depends on what was set up for that account. Organization-managed accounts may require an administrator. Google describes these options in its backup-code and 2-Step Verification help.
After regaining access, enroll a new authenticator or other MFA method in each service’s security settings. If the phone was lost or stolen, also follow the provider’s device-security guidance. Google recommends removing access to codes on a lost device; if the codes were stored only on that device, you may need to visit each service and link a new one.
Test the new setup before retiring the old one
- Confirm the expected accounts are present in the new app.
- Sign in to high-priority services using the new code or approval method.
- Complete any separate work or school sign-in setup.
- Verify passkeys independently; their readiness is not established by an authenticator backup.
- Keep the old phone and app until those checks succeed. Only then remove the old MFA method, erase the phone, or trade it in.
Add a backup method for next time
Where a service supports it, consider enrolling an additional recovery method such as a security key, backup codes, or another verified device. A FIDO security key can provide a physical sign-in factor, and Google lists a registered hardware key among possible ways to verify account ownership when a phone is unavailable. A key does not transfer authenticator codes, and it only helps where the service and account configuration support it. Enroll and test the backup method before relying on it.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
