How to set up Google Authenticator on a new phone?

Changing phones is straightforward. Moving your two-factor authentication is the part that needs attention. If you use Google Authenticator to secure your accounts, transferring it properly prevents you from being locked out of email, social media, banking, or business platforms. This guide explains the correct and current ways to set it up on a new phone.

Google Authenticator is a free app that generates time based one-time passwords, often called TOTP codes. These six-digit codes refresh every 30 seconds and act as a second layer of security alongside your password. It is commonly used with services such as Google accounts, Facebook, Instagram and Shopify, as well as many banking and productivity tools.

The important thing to understand is that your authenticator codes live inside the app. They do not automatically transfer to a new device unless you use one of the supported transfer methods.

How to set it up on your new phone?

If you still have your old phone, keep it with you during the setup. That makes everything significantly easier. If your old phone has already been reset, lost or damaged, you will need backup codes or to complete account recovery with each individual service.

Method 1: Transfer using Google Account Sync

Google Authenticator supports optional cloud backup. This only works if you were signed into a Google account inside the app on your old phone.

Open Google Authenticator on your old device and check whether you are signed into your Google account within the app. If you were signed in, your two factor tokens are backed up to that Google account.

On your new phone, install Google Authenticator from the App Store or Google Play. Open the app and sign in using the same Google account. If sync was active, your saved accounts should appear automatically.

It is worth noting that sync is tied to the specific Google account used inside the app. If you used more than one Google account, you’ll need to sign into each one to see all stored tokens. If you were not signed in on the old device, your codes were not backed up.

Method 2: Transfer using QR code export

If you still have access to your old device and prefer a direct transfer, you can export your accounts via QR code.

On the old phone, open Google Authenticator, go to the menu, choose Transfer accounts, then Export accounts. You’ll be asked to select the accounts you want to move. A QR code will then appear on screen.

On the new phone, open Google Authenticator and choose the option to import existing accounts. Scan the QR code displayed on the old device. The selected accounts will transfer immediately.

Once you have confirmed that everything works correctly on the new phone, you can remove the accounts from the old one.

Method 3: Reconnect each account manually

If you no longer have access to your old phone and did not enable sync, you’ll need to reconnect each account individually.

In most cases, this means logging into the service with your password, completing verification using a backup code or another method if prompted and going into the security settings to add a new authenticator app. The service will generate a new QR code, which you scan using Google Authenticator on your new phone.

Some platforms allow you to add a new authenticator without removing the old one. Others require you to remove the previous setup first. The exact process depends on the service you are using.

Now

Before wiping or selling your old phone, test at least one important account on your new device. Make sure codes generate correctly and that you can log in without issue. Confirm that you have recovery options saved somewhere secure. Google Authenticator is reliable, but it depends entirely on how carefully you transfer it. Taking a few extra minutes during setup protects access to everything linked to your accounts.