How to move Microsoft Authenticator to a new phone
Checked against Microsoft Authenticator's own help on 10 October 2026. Menus change, so follow the nearest label if yours differs.
Short answer
Turn on backup in Microsoft Authenticator on the old phone, install the app on the new one, and choose Begin recovery (or Restore from backup), signing in with the personal Microsoft account you used for the backup. Backups do not cross platforms, and work or school accounts only restore their name.
Your options at a glance
| Situation | What to do | Old phone needed |
|---|---|---|
| Backup was on, same platform | Install the app, tap Begin recovery, sign in with the personal Microsoft account you used for backup. | No |
| Switching iPhone and Android | Backups do not cross platforms. Recreate the accounts manually at each service. | Helpful |
| Work or school accounts | Only the account name restores; sign in again, or get a new QR code from your organisation. | No |
| No backup, old phone gone | Nothing to restore. Re-enrol each account with its service. | n/a |
On the old phone, first
- Update Microsoft Authenticator. Microsoft's iOS page names version 6.8.33 or later as the safer target.
- On iPhone, turn on iCloud Drive, iCloud Keychain and iCloud Backup, check Authenticator is switched on in the Saved to iCloud list, and sign in to iCloud with the same Apple ID as the phone.
- In Authenticator, go to Settings, then Backup, and turn backup on. A personal Microsoft account acts as the recovery account.
- Open the app once more before you switch phones.
Microsoft's backup page also says that from January 2027 Android backup stops using a personal Microsoft account and moves to Google One backup. If you are on Android, check Microsoft's current article before you rely on the older steps.
On the new phone
- Install Microsoft Authenticator. Make sure no personal Microsoft account is already set up in the app: existing accounts block recovery.
- Tap Begin recovery (or Restore from backup) and sign in with the personal Microsoft account you used for the backup.
- Your personal and non-Microsoft account credentials come back. Personal accounts that use push sign-in may need extra proof, such as your password and an alternate email or phone number.
- Sign in to each work or school account again: only the account name is restored.
Microsoft notes the codes for your personal account may differ between the old and new phones after recovery; both are valid on their own phone.
What does not carry over
Backups do not cross platforms: moving between iOS and Android, you recreate the accounts manually. The backup stores personal and non-Microsoft credentials and the verification codes, not emails or files, and it may be older than your latest changes. With no backup and no old phone, you re-enrol each account at its own service; the lost phone guide has the order.
Or move to KeyNesta instead
Microsoft Authenticator does not export the secrets behind its one-time codes, and its cloud backup restores only into Microsoft Authenticator, so there is no file to import. Moving to KeyNesta means re-enrolling each account at its service; Can I import from Microsoft Authenticator? gives an order that cannot lock you out. After that, a synced KeyNesta vault is a sign-in on the next phone, on iPhone, Android or in a browser.
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 Microsoft Support: Back up and recover account credentials in the Authenticator app, read on 10 October 2026. KeyNesta is not affiliated with Microsoft Authenticator.
Frequently asked questions
Does Microsoft Authenticator back up to the cloud automatically?
Not unless you turn it on. In the app, go to Settings, then Backup, and switch it on; on iPhone that backs up to iCloud with a personal Microsoft account as the recovery account. Do this on the old phone before you switch.
Can I restore Microsoft Authenticator from an iPhone backup onto Android?
No. Microsoft says backups do not cross platforms, so a move between iOS and Android means recreating your accounts manually at each service.
Why does Microsoft Authenticator not show Begin recovery on my new phone?
Microsoft says existing accounts in the app block recovery: if accounts are already set up, it will not recover the backed-up ones. Remove or sign out of all accounts first, or uninstall and reinstall the app if the backup does not appear.
Do work or school accounts move with a Microsoft Authenticator backup?
Only the account name is restored, so you sign in to each work or school account again. Your organisation may need to provide a new QR code.
Try KeyNesta free. The web app needs no sign-up.
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