How to Transfer Google Authenticator to a New Phone?

When you’re replacing your old phone with a new one, it’s important to move Google Authentication codes. It’s the two-factor authentication (2FA) or 2-step verification to add an extra layer of protection to the account if your phone or password gets stolen or changed.

Additionally, if you’re ever locked out of the accounts accidentally, having these codes helps to regain access to them. So, while discarding an old phone, transfer Google Authenticator to a new phone by the following process.

Transfer Google Authenticator Codes from an old phone to a new phone

An easy way to transfer codes from one Android phone to another is using the Google Authenticator app’s transfer feature. For this, you need the old phone with codes and the app’s latest version installed on it.

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Follow the steps to transfer the Google Authenticator codes on your new phone:

1. Visit Play Store and download the Google Authenticator app on the new device.

2. On your old phone, open the app and tap the overflow button at the top right corner.

3. Select Transfer accounts.

4. Tap Export accounts.

5. Confirm your identity.

6. Select the account from which you wish to transfer 2FA codes.

7. Tap Next and it’ll generate a QR code on the screen. To transfer multiple accounts, it generates more QR codes.

8. On the new phone,

9. Open the app, tap Get started and select Import existing accounts? from the bottom.

10. Or, if you’ve already set up an account, then tap the overflow icon from the top right corner and select Transfer accounts > Import accounts.

11. Tap Scan QR code.

12. Scan the code on the old phone using your new one.

13. Tap Done on both devices.

After finishing, you can see a confirmation prompt for the successful transfer.

Get Google Authenticator Codes on a new phone using 2-Step Verification

Here is the process to get and transfer Google Authenticator codes on a new phone from the Google account through the website. You can apply the steps for desktop, Android and iOS devices as well.

Process 1:

1. Download the Google Authenticator app on the new mobile or tablet.

2. Open your Google account on the old device through Settings.

3. Click on Manage your google account.

4. In the navigation panel, select Security.

5. Under “Signing in to Google” section, tap 2-Step Verification. Sign in to verify and continue.

6. Go to Google 2-Step Verification site on your mobile browser, tap on Get Started below and sign in. Under “Available second steps”, go to Authenticator app and tap Change Phone.

7. Choose the phone kind (Android or iPhone) to get codes from the Authenticator app and tap Next.

8. Open the app on the new phone. Select Scan a barcode for easy convenience or choose Enter a security key.

9. After scanning, get a time-sensitive six-digit code and enter it on the verification page.

10. Tap Verify and the setup is done.

Process 2:

  1. Visit Google 2-Step Verification site on your desktop for easy navigation and click Get Started.
  2. Sign in to your Google account.
  3. Under Authenticator app,click Change Phone.
  4. Select the phone type, whether Android or iPhone and click Next.
  5. Download and open the Google Authenticator app on the new mobile. Select Scan a QR code.
  6. After scanning, you’ll receive a code on the mobile.
  7. Click Next on the desktop screen and enter the code to set up authenticator on the new mobile.
  8. Click Verify to complete.

Now, as you’ve set Google Authenticator using 2-step verification onto a new changed phone, you can transfer the codes on it easily. 

Besides the Google website, you can use this two-factor verification app for other sites also. Therefore, it’s vital to keep the authenticator app on your old phone to transfer. Then, it’ll be easier to remove the old verification security for those sites and set a new one following their 2FA settings.

Fix common problems with 2-step verification

For a lost or stolen phone

When the old phone gets stolen or you lost its access, try the followings to get back into account:

Recommended fixes:

  1. Immediately sign out of the stolen or lost phone.
  2. Change the Google account password.

Other fixes:

1. Try multiple backup options.

  • Verify yourself by using another phone signed into the Google account.
  • Use another phone number added with the 2-step verification for your account.
  • Sign in with 8-digit backup codes you’ve previously generated and saved.
  • Sign in with the default security key you’ve added in the 2-step verification section.

2. Sign in using another trusted device from which you’ve signed in previously and checked the box for “Don’t ask again on this computer”.

3. Buy a new phone and ask your carrier to transfer the phone number to a new SIM card or phone.

4. If you can’t sign in, recover your account from the Account Recovery page.

For a lost or stolen security key of 2-step authentication

Try the following tips:

  1. Verification codes via text or call.
  2. Google prompts.
  3. Backup codes.
  4. Another backup security key, added with the Google account.
  5. Another registered computer for which you’ve selected not to ask for a verification code.

It can take 3-5 business days to resolve your issues. Once they get fixed, update your 2FA settings and transfer the Google Authenticator codes to your new device.