How to move Authy to a new phone
Checked against Authy's own help on 10 October 2026. Menus change, so follow the nearest label if yours differs.
Short answer
Authy has no export, so a new phone means moving the account, not the file. Turn on multi-device on the old phone, install Authy on the new one, verify with the phone number you registered with, and enter your backup password. If the old phone is gone and you have no backup password, re-enrol each account with its service.
Your options at a glance
| Situation | What to do | Old phone needed |
|---|---|---|
| Old phone still works | Turn on multi-device, install Authy on the new phone, verify with your registered number, enter the backup password. | Yes |
| Only ever had one phone | Re-enable multi-device, install Authy on the replacement, then disable multi-device again. | Yes |
| Old phone gone, you know the backup password | Install Authy, verify with the original phone number and country code, enter the backup password. | No |
| Old phone gone, no backup password | Twilio cannot reset it. Recover each account at its service and re-add the token. | n/a |
Move to a new phone with multi-device
- On the old phone, turn on Authy's multi-device option. Twilio's help says it lets you copy your tokens to a new device so you do not reconfigure every site.
- Install Authy on the new phone and sign in with the original phone number and country code you registered with.
- Authy sends a verification code to another device by SMS or voice. Once your keys sync, enter your backup password to decrypt them.
- Remove the old phone's access in your Authy account settings before you sell or hand it on.
- Twilio recommends turning multi-device off again once your devices are set up. The trade-off, which it states, is that a lost phone then makes installing on a replacement harder.
The backup password is the one thing you cannot reset
Twilio says Authy backup passwords cannot be recovered or reset, because the password generates the key that secures your tokens on your device and Twilio never sees it. With a working Authy install you can change it under Settings, Accounts, Change Backup Key. With no working device and no password, the only route is each service's own account recovery, then re-adding the token.
There is no export
Authy has never offered an export, and the community scripts that read the desktop app are gone since Twilio retired the desktop apps in March 2024. Moving to a new app therefore means re-enrolling each account. How to export Authy codes in 2026 (and why you can't) explains why and lists what still works.
Or move to KeyNesta instead
Authy can show you codes, not secrets, so leaving it means re-enrolling each account in KeyNesta, one at a time, with Authy kept installed until the last one is verified. Authy alternative lays out the dependable route, and An Authy desktop alternative covers the codes-in-a-browser case. KeyNesta needs no phone number, so the next new phone is a sign-in, not a number-verification step.
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 Twilio Help Center: What is a Backup Password? Can it be recovered?, read on 10 October 2026. The multi-device steps are from Twilio's Authy multi-device article, https://www.twilio.com/en-us/blog/developers/best-practices/multi-device. The Twilio pages we read are a year or more old, so menu names may have changed. KeyNesta is not affiliated with Authy.
Frequently asked questions
Which phone number does Authy need when I move to a new phone?
The one you originally registered with, including the country code. Twilio's help says a verification code goes to another device by SMS or voice, and once your keys have synced you enter your backup password to decrypt them.
Can Twilio reset my Authy backup password?
No. Twilio says Authy backup passwords cannot be recovered or reset, because it never receives or stores the password. If you have no working device left, you recover each service's account yourself and add the token again.
Why does Authy multi-device have to be on to move to a new phone?
Twilio describes multi-device as the way tokens are copied from a trusted device to a new one. Even with a single old phone you turn it on, install on the replacement, and then switch it off again.
Is there any way to export Authy tokens to move them to another app?
No official one. Authy has never shipped an export, and the community methods relied on desktop apps that were retired in March 2024. The reliable route is to re-enrol each account at its service in the new app.
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