What to do with google authenticator when changing phones

Q: How do I transfer my Google Authenticator to a new phone without old phone?

If youve deleted the Google Authenticator app on your old phone without first moving the accounts to the new phone, you have two options. Retrieve via backup codes you were given when you created your google authenticator account or youll have to add each of your accounts manually to your new phone.

Keeping our accounts secured is crucial, that is why we always use a strong password. However, passwords may get hacked or predicted, which can risk compromising your online account. To add another layer of security to your Google accounts and other logins, you can download and use the Google Authenticator service.

Table of Contents Show

How to Transfer and Use Google Authenticator Codes on your New Phone
Transferring Google Authenticator Codes to a New Phone With the Old Device
Transferring Google Authenticator Codes to a New Phone if your Phone is Lost
Recovering the authenticator without access to your smartphone
Recovering the authenticator if you are logged in to the account on another device
Recovering the authenticator without access to your account
What happens to Google Authenticator when you change phones?
How do I transfer my Google Authenticator to a new phone without old phone?
How do I reconnect my Google Authenticator to a new phone?

With the Two-factor authentication (2FA) security protection added when logging in to your account, you can use the Google Authenticator mobile app to securely store your unique verification codes. These codes are generated by the service that you are using the 2FA feature with. You can use Google Authenticator on Android phones and Apple iPhones to verify your identity upon login.

Image / Google

Whenever you try to sign in to your accounts online using your computer or mobile app, you can generate the code from your Google Authenticator app on your phone. That means no one can access your account unless they take hold of the code generated in real-time by the Google Authenticator app on your mobile device.

But, what happens if you lose your phone and need to buy a new one? Or probably you have finally decided to go with that much-needed upgrade? Fortunately, Google allows you to transfer and restore the codes stored on your Google Authenticator app to your new phone and dismiss the old device.

How to Transfer and Use Google Authenticator Codes on your New Phone

Let’s look at two scenarios in transferring the Google Authenticator codes into your new Android or iOS phone.

Transferring Google Authenticator Codes to a New Phone With the Old Device

First, install the Google Authenticator app on your new phone. Next, update the app on your old phone to the latest software version.

Launch the Google Authenticator app on your old phone.
Tap the three-dotted icon or the More button.
Go to Transfer accounts.
Select Export accounts.
Choose the Google account you want to transfer to your new phone.
Tap Next. A QR code will appear.
On your new phone, tap the Get Started button.
Scroll down and select Import existing accounts.
Next, tap the Scan QR code.
Scan the QR code from your old phone to initiate the transfer of codes.

Transferring Google Authenticator Codes to a New Phone if your Phone is Lost

In case your phone is lost or got stolen, you can still transfer the codes to your new phone without your old device. You can recover your backup codes and use them to add them to your device.

On your browser, go to your Google account.
Navigate to Security.
Go to 2-Step Verification.
Enter your Google password.
Scroll down to Backup Codes.
Select Show Codes.
Now, you will see the ten backup codes that you can use once on your new phone. If you used them all and want to generate more, click Get New Codes.

Why do you want to transfer your Google Authenticator Codes to another mobile device? What are your reasons? We would love to hear from you, so please write us a comment below.

It is vital to protect accounts with two-factor authentication: If your password gets leaked (and leaks are very common), 2FA will safeguard your accounts against hacking. One of the most convenient 2FA methods is to use an app that generates one-time codes, such as Google Authenticator and the like. But what if your phone, and along with it the authenticator app, gets lost, broken, or stolen? In that case, you have several options.

Recovering the authenticator without access to your smartphone

If you no longer have access to the smartphone on which the authenticator app is installed, your next steps depend on whether you’re still signed in to the account you need to log in to on another device.

Recovering the authenticator if you are logged in to the account on another device

If you’re still logged in to the account on another device, you may be in luck. Open your account settings and reset the authenticator — that is, link it to the app on the new phone. The item you need is usually somewhere on the Security tab. For example, this option works with Google accounts if you’re logged in to even one of the company’s apps, such as YouTube.

Some (but not all) services even display the secret key or QR code of the authenticator in the settings. In that case, simply enter the secret key or scan the QR code in the authenticator app on the new device and you’re all set.

Unfortunately, this method doesn’t always work. The problem is that not all services use the same settings in the Web version as in the mobile app. The option you need might simply not be operant on the device where you’re logged in.

Recovering the authenticator without access to your account

If you’re not logged in elsewhere and you’ve lost the smartphone with the authenticator, done a factory reset, or had it stolen (basically, if you no longer have access to it), or if the above method didn’t work, you won’t be able to recover the authenticator.

What you can do now is restore access to your account. If it’s an account with a major public service (e.g., Google, Facebook, Instagram) and your account is linked to your e-mail or phone number, you can easily restore access using an alternative authentication method.

To do this, start the account login process by entering your username and password, and when you need to enter a one-time code from the authenticator app, look for a “Try another way” (or similar) link.

Select the most convenient option — most services can deliver the code by text, voice call, or e-mail —and wait for it to arrive. It shouldn’t take long, and soon you’ll be able to sign in to your account.

If the loss of the authenticator blocks your account access, for example with a corporate or small public service that lacks an automatic procedure for restoring access, contact a local administrator or support service and explain what happened. You’ll most likely need to prove you are the real owner of the account.

When you are finally able to log in to your account, link the authenticator to the app on your new smartphone — and so as not to have to repeat everything the next time you lose your smartphone with authenticator app, create a backup right away.

What happens to Google Authenticator when you change phones?

On your new phone, tap Scan QR code. After you scan your QR codes, you get a confirmation that your Google Authenticator accounts transferred. You can remove your exported accounts from your old phone.

How do I transfer my Google Authenticator to a new phone without old phone?

If you've deleted the Google Authenticator app on your old phone without first moving the accounts to the new phone, you have two options. Retrieve via backup codes you were given when you created your google authenticator account or you'll have to add each of your accounts manually to your new phone.

How do I reconnect my Google Authenticator to a new phone?

Scroll down the 2 Step Verification Page, then click on Change Phone on the Authenticator App Tab. Select the OS version of your device, either Android or iPhone. Click on Next. On your new phone, open the Authenticator app.