Accounts & securityPractical guide · updated for 2026
How to Move Two-Factor Codes to a New Phone
Move the authenticator before you wipe the old phone. Export or sync the vault, confirm the codes work on the new device, and keep the old phone until you have signed in once with the new one.
Have this ready
- The old phone, still working
- The new phone with the same authenticator app
- Backup codes for critical accounts
Step by step
- 1Open the authenticator app and check whether it supports export, cloud sync or transfer to a new device.
- 2Export or sync the accounts to the new phone and confirm the six-digit codes match the old device for the same account.
- 3Write down the backup codes for your most important accounts before wiping anything.
- 4Sign in to email, banking and work accounts using the new phone to prove the codes are accepted.
- 5Update the recovery details on important accounts if your number changed too.
- 6Only then reset and sell the old phone, removing it from trusted devices.
- 7Check the remaining accounts over the next week, since rarely used codes are easy to miss.
Want it done with you?
I can walk you through it in a Magic Box, show you the exact clicks, or do it with you and keep the recording. You log in yourself; I never see your password.
Common questions
What if the export option does not exist?+
Some apps require you to re-enrol each account. Do the important ones first and keep the old phone until they are confirmed.
Does a cloud sync weaken security?+
It moves the risk to your cloud account, so protect that account with a strong password and two-step verification.
What if I already lost the old phone?+
Use backup codes where you saved them, or the account's recovery process. Expect identity checks and delays.