How to move Google Authenticator to a new phone
Checked against Google Authenticator's own help on 10 October 2026. Menus change, so follow the nearest label if yours differs.
Short answer
If your codes were saved to a Google Account, install Google Authenticator on the new phone and sign in to the same account: the codes sync to it. If they were not, use Transfer accounts on the old phone (Export accounts) and Import accounts on the new one, and scan the QR code.
Your options at a glance
| Situation | What to do | Old phone needed |
|---|---|---|
| Codes saved to a Google Account | Sign in to the same Google Account in Authenticator on the new phone. Codes sync automatically. | No |
| Codes not saved to an account | Transfer accounts, then Export accounts on the old phone and Import accounts on the new one, scanning the QR code. | Yes |
| Old phone lost or wiped, no sync | Nothing to transfer. Re-enrol each account with its own service, using backup codes to get in. | n/a |
If your codes sync to a Google Account
- Install Google Authenticator on the new phone and open it.
- Sign in to the same Google Account the codes were saved to.
- Your codes sync to the new device. Google's page lists app version 6.0 or later on Android and 4.0 or later on iOS for this.
This only works if the codes were saved to a Google Account in the first place. If the app on the old phone was used without signing in, use the QR method below.
If they are not synced: the QR transfer
- Update Google Authenticator on the old phone and install it on the new one.
- On the new phone, start setup and sign in to your Google Account.
- On the old phone, open the menu, choose Transfer accounts (some Android versions say Transfer codes), then Export accounts. Unlock the phone if asked.
- Select the accounts to move and tap Next. Moving several may create more than one QR code.
- On the new phone, open the menu, choose Transfer accounts, then Import accounts, and scan each QR code from the old phone.
- Check a code on a real sign-in before you wipe or sell the old phone.
If the old phone is already gone
With no sync and no old phone, the secrets are gone with it, and no app can bring them back. You re-enrol each account at its own service. Backup codes are what get you in; Google recommends creating them before you switch phones, and making sure you have a backup before you remove an account from Authenticator. Lost your phone? How to get your codes back has the order to work in.
Or move to KeyNesta instead
The Google Authenticator export QR is the same one KeyNesta reads. On the old phone choose Transfer accounts, then Export accounts, and import the QR into KeyNesta on any device: Import from Google Authenticator walks through it. Because KeyNesta can sync an encrypted vault, the next phone change is a sign-in rather than a transfer. Google Authenticator alternative compares the two.
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 Google Account Help: Get verification codes with Google Authenticator, read on 10 October 2026. KeyNesta is not affiliated with Google Authenticator.
Frequently asked questions
Does Google Authenticator move to a new phone automatically?
Only if your codes were saved to a Google Account. Signing in to that account in the app on the new phone syncs them. Codes kept without an account stay on the old phone until you transfer them with the QR export.
Why does Google Authenticator show Transfer codes on my phone instead of Transfer accounts?
Google's help says the wording varies: some Android versions show "Transfer codes" and "Export codes" in place of "Transfer accounts" and "Export accounts". Use whichever wording your version shows; the steps are the same.
How many QR codes will Google Authenticator make when I export accounts?
Google's help says transferring more than one account may create more than one QR code. Scan each in turn on the new phone, and if your camera struggles with a dense code, export fewer accounts at a time.
Can I move Google Authenticator codes if I no longer have the old phone?
Not from the app: with no sync and no old phone there is nothing to export. You re-enrol each account at its service, using backup codes or another second step to get in, and Google advises creating backup codes before a switch.
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