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Microsoft Authenticator on a New Phone: How to Move It Safely

Published October 16, 2026. Updated October 16, 2026.

Getting a new phone is one of the most common reasons people end up locked out of a Microsoft account: the Authenticator app that approves their sign-ins is on a device they no longer use. The good news is that Microsoft Authenticator has a cloud backup feature designed exactly for this move. This independent guide explains how to back up and restore, what does and does not come across, and what your options are if you have already switched phones without a backup.

Back up before you switch (the easy path)

If you still have your old phone, turn on cloud backup there first. On Android, open Authenticator, tap the three-dot menu, choose Settings, turn on Cloud Backup, pick a personal Microsoft account to store it, and tap OK. On iPhone, Microsoft's requirement is that iCloud Drive, iCloud Keychain and iCloud Backup are enabled, and that Authenticator is switched on in your "Saved to iCloud" list. The backup uses a personal Microsoft account as the recovery account, not a work or school one.

Microsoft has noted a change for Android: "Starting January 2027, you will no longer use your Microsoft personal account to enable backup", and Android backups will move to Google One. Until then the steps above apply.

Restore on the new phone

Install Microsoft Authenticator on the new phone but do not add any accounts yet. Microsoft notes you must select the restore option "before signing in"; if accounts already exist, the restore option will not appear and you would need to remove or sign out of them first.
On the welcome screen, choose Restore from backup (shown as "Begin recovery" in some versions).
Sign in with the personal Microsoft account you used for the backup. Your account credentials are recovered to the new device.
Complete any extra verification. For a personal account you enter your password and confirm your email or phone. For a work or school account you open its full-screen view and sign in again.

Remember the device-type rule: an iOS backup restores only to another iPhone, and an Android backup only to another Android phone.

What restores and what you must redo

Personal Microsoft accounts using one-time codes and third-party accounts (such as Amazon, Facebook or Gmail): the codes work again after restore.
Passwordless Microsoft accounts and work or school accounts: only the account name comes back, so you must sign in to each one again.

Microsoft also points out that your old and new phones can display different codes for the same personal account; both are valid on their own device, so you do not need to worry if the numbers differ during the switch.

No old phone and no backup

If you have already moved to a new phone and never set up cloud backup, the codes cannot be copied across - there is nothing to restore from. In that case:

Set up each account in Authenticator again from scratch, using each service's own "add an authenticator" flow.
For your Microsoft account specifically, if Authenticator was your only way in, use the sign-in helper and then the account recovery form to regain access, then register the new phone. Our page on a recovery form that is not working helps if that is declined.
If you kept a 25-character recovery code, that is often the fastest way back in without the app.

Microsoft is clear that if you are locked out of the personal Microsoft account that holds the backup itself, its support agents cannot help with that; you must first recover that account through the sign-in helper.

Work or school accounts

For an account issued by an employer or school, the authenticator is registered through your organisation's security-info page. After setting up the app you often re-register it at the Security info page (the destination of aka.ms/mysecurity and aka.ms/mfasetup), and your IT administrator can reset the method if you are stuck.

A habit that prevents lockouts

Turn on cloud backup today, while both your account and your current phone are working, and confirm a second sign-in method is on the account as well. With a backup plus an up-to-date phone number or alternate email, swapping phones becomes a two-minute restore instead of a recovery-form wait. Pair this with our MFA setup guide for the full picture.

Frequently asked questions

How do I move Microsoft Authenticator to a new phone?

Turn on cloud backup in the app on your old phone, then install Authenticator on the new phone and choose "Restore from backup" (or "Begin recovery"), signing in with the personal Microsoft account used for the backup. Your credentials are then recovered to the new device.

Can I restore an iPhone backup onto an Android phone?

No. Microsoft states that accounts backed up using an iOS device cannot be restored on an Android device, and vice versa. A backup only restores to the same type of device.

What if I have no access to my old phone?

If the account is backed up to the cloud, install Authenticator on the new phone and restore before adding any accounts, signing in with the backup Microsoft account. If there is no backup, you cannot copy the codes across and must set up each account again and use each service's own recovery, including Microsoft's account recovery form for your Microsoft account.

Does everything come back after a restore?

Not always. Personal accounts and third-party accounts that use one-time codes work after restore. Passwordless Microsoft accounts and work or school accounts restore only the account name, so you must sign in to each of them again.

Is the recovery account the same as my work account?

No. The cloud backup uses a personal Microsoft account. If you are locked out of that backup account itself, Microsoft support cannot help with it - use the Microsoft account sign-in helper to get back into it first.