Transferring Google Authenticator to a New Phone

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is one of the best ways to keep your online accounts secure. It is one of the easiest, and it works by issuing an authentication code on your phone.

When somebody who doesn’t have the code tries to access the account, they (or you) don’t get in. A 2FA app such as Google Authenticator or Authy can prevent somebody from accessing your data.

This is done by getting your password. A co

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de can be texted to you, but that can be less secure due to the rise of SIM hacking.

The catch is, 2FA uses a key specific to your phone. If your phone gets lost or broken, you can’t simply reinstall the app on your new phone. You’ll need to transfer the key code for that phone as well as the app itself.

Different authentication apps handle this in different ways, but in this article we’ll look at Google Authenticator. This will also include the easiest way to transfer the app to a new phone. That is, if you do have access to the old one, and how you can prepare for a possible problem.

Google Authenticator allows you to establish 2FA by using your phone to scan a QR code. This is generated by the app on a separate device or by entering a key code. It’s a relatively easy process, unless you have to move the app to a new phone.

Transfer Authenticator Keys via Android

Two-factor authentication uses security keys that are specific to each piece of hardware. You can’t simply reinstall Google Authenticator on another phone and use it to log in. You’d instead have to transfer the keys to your new app.

The easiest method is to use the Authenticator app’s dedicated transfer feature. This is especially if you use 2FA with several apps. That is in moving your keys from one phone to the other. 

However, there are assumptions here. First, you need access to both the old and new phone. Second, you’ll need Android devices. Moreover, if either of these assumptions doesn’t work for your situation, there are other methods you can use.

You can transfer your accounts to a new phone if you’ve got two Android phones. That is, by exporting them via a QR code generated by the Authenticator app.

How To Do It

On your old phone, open Google Authenticator.

Google Authenticator->Transfer Accounts->Export Accounts->Select which accounts you want to export->Next->QR Code->

Go to your new phone and do the same but select “Import Accounts”. Select “Scan QR code” and scan the code on your old phone with your new phone.

Two alternative methods may be used: using backup codes and  taking a screenshot of the barcode.

For your backup codes, print them out or otherwise save them. This is a way to reestablish your keys on a new iPhone.

On taking a screenshot of the barcode, save a screenshot that is created for each 2FA-secured app.  If you’ve mislaid your backup codes, you can use that screenshot to establish your credentials on a new phone.

Just throw the screenshot up on your computer and install Google Authenticator on your new phone. Then, use the plus sign on the app to scan the barcode. 

Or, you can also enter the setup key code if that’s what you saved. You can do this for each of your apps, and you’ll be all set.