Transfer Microsoft Authenticator to a New Phone

🔄 General Overview

To avoid losing access to your accounts, you must back up your Authenticator app on your old phone and restore it on your new phone using the same Microsoft account. Backups cannot be transferred between iOS and Android.

Microsoft’s Official Support Page: Back up Microsoft Authenticator

🍏 iPhone Instructions

Enable iCloud Drive on your iOS device. Learn how.
Enable iCloud Keychain on you iOS device. Learn how.
Enable iCloud Backup on your iOS device. Learn how.
1. Go to your Saved to iCloud list and search for Authenticator. Learn how.
2. Turn on the toggle for Authenticator.
On your new iPhone:
1. Install Microsoft Authenticator from the App Store.
2. Open the app and tap Begin Recovery.
3. Sign in with the same Microsoft account.
4. Your codes will restore automatically.
Revalidate any accounts that prompt for additional verification.

🤖 Android Instructions

Open Microsoft Authenticator on your old Android phone.
Tap the three-dot menu (top right) → Settings.
Toggle Cloud Backup ON.
Confirm your Microsoft account is listed as the recovery account.
On your new Android phone:
1. Install Microsoft Authenticator from Google Play.
2. Open the app and tap Begin Recovery.
3. Sign in with the same Microsoft account.
4. Your codes will restore automatically.
Revalidate any accounts that prompt for additional verification.

🔄 Cross-Platform Transfers: iPhone ↔ Android

❗ Key Limitation

You cannot restore Microsoft Authenticator backups across platforms.

iOS backups (via iCloud) cannot be restored on Android.
Android backups (via Microsoft account) cannot be restored on iOS.

This is because each platform uses a different cloud service for storing Authenticator data:

iOS → iCloud
Android → Microsoft personal account

✅ What Users Must Do When Switching Platforms

If you're moving from iPhone to Android or Android to iPhone, follow these steps:

Before switching:
1. Open Authenticator on your old device.
2. Manually note which accounts are configured (especially third-party ones like Google, Facebook, etc.).
3. Ensure you have access to each account’s login credentials and recovery options.
On your new device:
1. Install Microsoft Authenticator from the App Store or Google Play.
2. Open the app and add each account manually:
3. For Microsoft accounts: Sign in and follow prompts.
4. For other accounts: Use the QR code or manual setup from each service’s security settings.
Revalidate accounts:
1. Some accounts may require additional verification (e.g., password, email, or phone confirmation).
2. Look for “Action Required” prompts in the app and follow instructions to complete setup.
Do not wipe your old phone until all accounts are successfully reconfigured on the new device.

⚠️ Important Notes

Do not wipe your old phone until you've confirmed the codes are restored.
Some accounts may require manual revalidation (e.g., scanning a QR code).
If you didn’t enable backup before switching phones, you’ll need to reconfigure each account manually.