How to move 2FAS to a new phone
Checked against 2FAS's own help on 10 October 2026. Menus change, so follow the nearest label if yours differs.
Short answer
If 2FAS Backup was on, install 2FAS on the new phone, sign in to the same iCloud (iOS) or Google (Android) account, turn on 2FAS Backup and select your previous account. To switch between iPhone and Android, export a password-protected .2fas file on the old phone and import it on the new one.
Your options at a glance
| Situation | What to do | Old phone needed |
|---|---|---|
| Same platform, backup on | Same iCloud or Google account, 2FAS Backup on, select the previous account. Codes sync. | No |
| iPhone to Android or back | Cloud sync does not cross platforms. Export a .2fas file, copy it over, import it. | Yes |
| No backup, old phone gone | 2FAS cannot restore the codes. Use each service's backup codes or saved secret key. | n/a |
With cloud backup
- Install 2FAS on the new phone and sign in to the same cloud account: the same Google account on Android (Google Drive), or the same Apple ID on iOS (iCloud).
- Open 2FAS Backup (Menu on Android, Settings on iOS) and turn it on.
- Select the previous account and allow Google Drive or iCloud access. The codes sync to the new device.
With an exported file (works across iOS and Android)
- On the old device open 2FAS Backup and tap Export. 2FAS recommends exporting with a password.
- Copy the file (extension
.2fas) to the new phone. - In the same 2FAS Backup menu on the new phone, use Import and enter the password.
Keep the password somewhere safe: without it the backup is unusable.
If nothing was backed up
2FAS stores tokens only on the device, and says that after an uninstall, a lost or reset phone or deleted tokens it cannot restore your codes. Your fallback is the service's own recovery: backup codes, the secret key you saved at setup, or the service's support. The lost phone guide has the order to work in.
Or move to KeyNesta instead
KeyNesta imports 2FAS exports, with one condition: the export must be unencrypted, because KeyNesta cannot open a password-protected 2FAS file. Import from Aegis and 2FAS covers exporting, previewing the import and deleting the file afterwards. That is the one place to drop the password protection, so delete the plain file once you are done.
KeyNesta is not open source, has had no independent security audit, and has no passkey or hardware security key support. Its iPhone and Android apps are built and awaiting store release; the web app is live and works in any browser.
Source
Steps on this page come from 2FAS Support: I have lost all of my tokens/codes, read on 10 October 2026. The iOS and Android file-transfer details are from 2FAS's article on moving tokens between iOS and Android, https://2fas.com/support/2fas-auth-mobile-app/i-want-to-move-copy-transfer-tokens-codes-between-ios-and-android/. KeyNesta is not affiliated with 2FAS.
Frequently asked questions
Does 2FAS back up my tokens by default?
2FAS keeps tokens only on the device, and its help says cloud sync is the main recovery path, so check that 2FAS Backup is on. Its guidance is to keep it on and to keep an exported file somewhere safe as well.
Can I move 2FAS from an iPhone to an Android phone?
Not with cloud sync, which uses iCloud on iOS and Google Drive on Android. Export a file from 2FAS Backup on the old device, copy it to the new one, and import it there.
What is a .2fas file and do I need the password to import it?
It is the 2FAS export, essentially a JSON text file with the extension .2fas. 2FAS recommends exporting it with a password, and then you need that password to import it; without it the backup is unusable.
Can 2FAS recover my codes if I lost my phone without a backup?
No. 2FAS says it cannot restore codes after an uninstall, a lost or reset phone or deleted tokens. Use each service's backup codes or saved secret key, or its support.
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