How to Move Google Authenticator to a New Phone

This article explains how to move all your Google Authenticator accounts from one phone to another.

How to Keep Your Google Authenticator Codes When Switching Phones

There are two easy ways to do this, and neither requires you to re-add all your two-factor authentication accounts.

Log in to the Same Google Account

Google lets you back up your Authenticator codes to your Google Account, making it incredibly easy to move all your codes to your new phone. The only catch is that you have to turn on this backup option.

Follow these steps to get your Google Authenticator codes on your new phone pronto:

1. On your old phone, open Google Authenticator and tap your profile icon at the top.

   If the small cloud icon at the top of the app has a checkmark in it, then your codes are already being backed up and you skip down to Step 4.

2. Tap your email address from the menu.

3. Choose Continue or Allow on the prompt about saving your codes to your Google account.

4. On your new phone, open the app and log in to the same Google account you used on your old phone; tap your profile icon to switch accounts.

   All the same 2FA codes will show up instantly (close and reopen Authenticator if you don’t see them).

Export the 2FA Codes

Another way this works is by exporting the accounts. This lets you move your Google Authenticator codes to the other phone if it’s using a different Google account, or if you plan to use Authenticator without an account.

Here’s how to export your Google Authenticator accounts:

1. From the old phone, tap the menu and then choose Transfer codes > Export codes (on some phones, it’s Transfer accounts > Export accounts).

2. Select Next to export all your codes, or pick specific ones you want to transfer. You’ll see a QR code.

3. Open the Google Authenticator menu on the other phone. This time, go to Transfer codes > Import codes > Scan QR code.

   If you don’t see that option, select Transfer accounts > Import accounts > Scan QR code.

4. Point the camera at the QR code on the old phone to transfer the Google Authenticator codes immediately. On iPhone, you’ll need to tap OK on the prompt.

   At this point, you’re done and can close both apps. However, if you tap Next on the old phone, you’ll be given the option to remove the exported accounts.

   The choice is yours, but unless you’re keeping both devices, we recommend erasing the codes (just make sure they work correctly on the new phone first!).