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If your authenticator app is gone or its codes no longer work, first check whether its codes can be restored from sync or backup. If not, use a backup sign-in method you already enrolled or the affected service’s official account-recovery process. After you regain access, remove the lost authenticator where possible and set up and test a replacement and a second recovery route. There is no universal authenticator recovery switch: each account provider controls its own process.
First, work out what happened
The right fix depends on whether you still have the phone, whether the app was only deleted, whether its codes were synced or backed up, and whether the account is personal or managed by work or school. An app reinstall—or a general phone backup—does not necessarily restore every website’s one-time-password secret.
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- Old phone still available: keep it until you have transferred the codes and confirmed that sign-in works on the replacement.
- Phone lost or damaged: check for a restorable app backup, then try a backup method already registered with each affected service.
- App deleted, phone available: reinstall it and check whether codes return through the app’s sync or restore feature. If they do not, use the old phone or the service’s recovery process.
- Codes appear but fail: check the account and service they belong to, enter a fresh code before it expires, and verify the phone’s date and time are synchronized.
- Work or school account: contact your organization’s administrator or follow its identity-recovery instructions; an administrator may control enrollment and reset options.
If you can still access the old device
Google Authenticator
If code sync was enabled, install Google Authenticator on the new device and sign into the same Google Account that holds the codes. Confirm that the expected accounts appear. If sync was not enabled but the old device and codes remain accessible, use the app’s export and import process: export selected accounts from the old device, then scan the generated QR code with the new device. Follow Google’s transfer instructions. If the codes were not synced and the old device is unavailable, Google says to remove and relink the codes with each service after regaining access.
Microsoft Authenticator
Use the app’s Restore from backup or Begin recovery flow and sign in with the recovery account configured for the backup. Microsoft’s restore is limited to the same device platform: an iOS backup cannot be restored on Android, or vice versa. Compatible one-time-password accounts may restore their codes, but work or school entries may restore only the account name and require you to sign in again. Push notifications and passwordless sign-in may also need to be set up again. See Microsoft’s backup guidance and restore instructions.
#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.
If the phone or codes are gone
Try a method that was already enrolled for the affected account. Depending on the service, that might be a saved recovery code, another signed-in device, a security key, a passkey on a different device, a verified phone number or email address, or a trusted session. A method added after the loss cannot recover a missing authenticator secret by itself.
For a Google Account, documented alternatives include another signed-in phone, a recovery number, a saved backup code, an enrolled security key, a passkey on another device, or a trusted device. If none lets you complete the second step, use Google’s account recovery guidance. Google also says you can ask your carrier to transfer your phone number to a new phone or SIM; that is one possible route for Google sign-in, not a general replacement for each service’s authenticator recovery.
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
For other accounts, go to that provider’s official sign-in help and recovery page. If ownership cannot be verified, the provider decides whether recovery is possible; there is no guaranteed bypass. For a managed work or school account, follow your organization’s instructions or ask its administrator. Microsoft Entra provides an account recovery overview for organizational accounts.
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If the app opens but codes do not work
- Confirm you selected the entry for the correct service and account; similar account names can be easy to confuse.
- Enter a newly displayed code promptly, before it expires.
- Make sure the device’s date and time are set to update automatically or are otherwise correct and synchronized.
- If expected Google Authenticator codes are missing, check that the app is signed into the Google Account that holds the sync, or switch to the correct account.
These checks follow Google Authenticator’s guidance. If the issue persists, use the affected service’s official recovery process rather than repeatedly guessing codes.
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
After you regain access
- Open the affected account’s official security settings and remove or reset the lost authenticator, if the service provides that option.
- Enroll a replacement authenticator and confirm that a fresh code works for sign-in before ending your current session.
- Add a separate backup method supported by that service, such as recovery codes, a second device, a passkey, or a security key.
- For a lost or stolen phone, sign out of the device and change the password for the account used on it. For Google, follow its lost-device guidance; review recent account activity and remove other lost devices or factors where the service allows it.
Set up a fallback before the next problem
Keep recovery codes somewhere private and separate from the device they protect. Google backup codes apply to Google Account sign-in; each code is one-use, and creating a new set invalidates the old set. Do not share a code or enter it on a page reached through an unsolicited message. Google explains how to create and use backup codes.
Consider enrolling a second, separate sign-in method and verifying that it works while you still have access to the account. NIST recommends supporting at least two separate means of authentication to reduce reliance on account recovery, and describes saved recovery codes as one use for look-up secrets. Its authenticator guidance also emphasizes backup and alternate authenticators.
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.
A FIDO security key can be a useful additional option for services that support it. Google says FIDO1 or FIDO2 keys can serve as a second step and recommends keeping an extra key in a safe place; see its security-key guidance and lost-device advice. Check the service and device requirements before relying on a key. A newly purchased key cannot recover an authenticator code secret that is already lost.
Quick Recap
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.
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