Two-factor authentication has become an essential security precaution for many people, but it can also be a source of anxiety. When you change or upgrade phones, Google Authenticator doesn’t migrate codes automatically—you need to do that manually.
Thankfully, it’s not difficult to move Google Authenticator codes from one phone to another, although, admittedly, it can be somewhat cumbersome and time-consuming. Google intended this, more or less, by design. It shouldn’t be too easy to retrieve authentication codes from anywhere except the device you’re using for your two-factor authentication, or the whole value of 2FA would be moot.
Nonetheless, here’s what you need to know to get Google Authenticator (and all of your authentication codes) from an old phone to a new one. Whether you’re jumping platforms or staying within your iOS or Android universes, the process is the same.
Move Google Authenticator to a New Phone
First of all, don’t do anything to the copy of Google Authenticator on your old phone. Leave it be for now, or else you might get caught without a way to enter 2FA codes before the new phone is set up. Start by installing Google Authenticator on your new device—either Google Authenticator for iPhone or Google Authenticator for Android.
Next, you’ll need your computer. Open Google’s 2-Step Verification page in a browser and log into your Google account when it asks you. In the “Authenticator app” section of the page, click “Change Phone.”
Choose the kind of phone you are migrating to and click “Next.”
You should now see the “Set up Authenticator” screen, complete with barcode. Open Google Authenticator on the new phone and follow the prompts to scan the barcode. Tap “Setup,” and then “Scan a Barcode.”
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Source : How to Move Google Authenticator to a New Phone (or Multiple Phones)
