Move your authenticator app to a new phone
5 apps, each checked against its own help on 10 October 2026.
Short answer
Do it while the old phone still works. Use the app's own sync or backup to move the codes, or export a file and import it on the new phone, and test a real sign-in before you wipe the old one. With no backup and no old phone, the codes cannot be recovered and each account has to be re-enrolled at its own service.
Pick your app
| App | Fastest route |
|---|---|
| Google Authenticator | Sign in to the same Google Account in Authenticator on the new phone. Codes sync automatically. |
| Microsoft Authenticator | Install the app, tap Begin recovery, sign in with the personal Microsoft account you used for backup. |
| Authy | Turn on multi-device, install Authy on the new phone, verify with your registered number, enter the backup password. |
| 2FAS | Same iCloud or Google account, 2FAS Backup on, select the previous account. Codes sync. |
| Aegis | Export the vault (encrypted), copy the file over, import it in Aegis on the new phone. |
Before you wipe the old phone
- Confirm a code from the new phone is accepted by two or three real accounts.
- Check each important service has fresh backup codes saved away from the phone. Where to store them ranks the options.
- Write down any backup or export password. Several apps cannot reset it.
Moving to KeyNesta
If the new phone is also a chance to change app, KeyNesta imports from Google Authenticator, and from Aegis and 2FAS (unencrypted exports only). Microsoft Authenticator and Authy have no export, so those are re-enrolled one account at a time: see Microsoft Authenticator and Authy. The next phone change after that is a sign-in to an end-to-end encrypted vault. KeyNesta's phone apps are built and awaiting store release; the web app is live.
Frequently asked questions
Can any authenticator app move my codes to a new phone if the old one is gone?
Only if a backup or sync exists. The secrets behind the codes live on the device, so with no sync, no backup file and no old phone, no app can restore them, and you re-enrol each account with its own service using its backup codes.
What should I do before I wipe my old phone after moving authenticator codes?
Sign in to a few real accounts using codes from the new phone, make sure each service has fresh backup codes saved away from the phone, and only then wipe or sell the old one. A transfer that was never tested is a belief, not a backup.
Try KeyNesta free. The web app needs no sign-up.
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