When transitioning to a new phone, it’s crucial to transfer Microsoft Authenticator to ensure uninterrupted access to your online accounts.
Microsoft allows you to back up your 2FA (two-factor authentication) account data to a cloud server and then transfer it to your new device
To ensure a smooth transition when switching to a new phone, follow these steps for backing up Microsoft Authenticator:
Backup on Your Old Phone:
Open Microsoft Authenticator on your old device > Access the app’s settings (usually by tapping the three vertical dots or a similar icon.
Enable cloud backup (iCloud Backup on iPhone or Cloud Backup on Android) Wait for the notification confirming the recovery account used to secure your data.
Tap Okay:
If you’re using an iPhone, ensure that Authenticator is active in your iCloud settings.
* If you have trouble backing up Microsoft Authenticator on an iPhone, open the Settings app for iOS, tap Apple ID > iCloud, and ensure that the switch next to Authenticator is active.
Why Backup Even If You’re Not Switching Phones:
Backing up your accounts is essential, even if you’re not planning to switch phones, It allows you to restore your accounts in case of phone loss or hardware failure.
Whereabouts Is the Data Stored:
On iPhones, the data is uploaded to iCloud and secured with your Microsoft Account credentials.
On Android phones, the information is stored on Microsoft’s online servers.
*Remember to have backup codes for each account for added security.
Enable Cloud backu - iCloud Backup:
On your new phone, install the Microsoft Authenticator app and log in to your account!
Select “Begin Recovery”
You'll be asked to sign in to the Microsoft account you used for the backup on your old phone. Your accounts will then automatically be added to Microsoft Authenticator on your new one.
Some accounts will require you to revalidate, either by signing in to those accounts or scanning a QR code. Microsoft Authenticator will display a message if you need to do this.
* It's essentially the same process you went through when you set up the account originally.
It's also important to remove the accounts from your old phone. However, don't do this until you've tested and made sure you can access these accounts on your new phone via Microsoft Authenticator.
To transfer your Microsoft Authenticator data to your new phone.
- Download Microsoft Authenticator from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
- Open the Microsoft Authenticator app, agree to its license terms, and skip any prompts to sign in.
- Tap Begin Recovery (scroll down if you don’t see the option).
- Enter the recovery account email address linked to your Microsoft Authenticator backup.
- Enter the verification code you receive on your old mobile device. Or, authenticate the recovery account via an alternative MFA (multi-factor authentication) method such as email, SMS, or password.
- Complete the account recovery process and tap OK.
If after transferring Microsoft Authenticator to your new phone you encounter accounts that need additional verification.
Check for “Attention Required” Open the Authenticator app on your new device > Scroll through your list of accounts.
Look for any account labeled “Attention Required.
Complete Verification >Tap the account that needs attention > Follow the prompts to input relevant security infomation.
{Password - Phone number - Backup code - * Alternatively, scan a QR code if required}
Remember to verify all accounts for seamless access.
Removing Microsoft Authenticator From Your Old Phone.
Once you’ve verified that your accounts in Microsoft Authenticator are functioning correctly on your new phone, it’s time to remove them from the old device.
Thie removal of your old device linked to your account, eliminates the security risk of receiving verification codes on multiple devices.
When it comes to transferring Microsoft Authenticator, there’s an important limitation: you can only move accounts between phones on the same platform.
You can’t transfer your accounts from iPhone to Android or vice versa, as Microsoft Authentication for iPhone uses iCloud as the storage location for its data backups.
So you can’t transfer data between iOS to an Android device or the other way around over the cloud.
Your only option is to sign into the new phone with your Microsoft Account credentials, authenticate it with 2FA from your old phone, a recovery code, or text message, and manually re-add your accounts.
Related Links:
How to move Microsoft Authenticator to a new phone (thewindowsclub.com)
How to Transfer Microsoft Authenticator to New Phone (helpdeskgeek.com)
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