The Microsoft Authenticator application bolsters the security of your accounts, including the Microsoft account. The additional layer of protection prevents hackers from gaining access to your accounts. But what happens if your phone is damaged or stolen? Well, you need not worry! The Microsoft Authenticator app offers a backup and recovery feature. These options can transfer the Microsoft Authenticator to a new phone.
How to Transfer Microsoft Authenticator to New Phone?
In this article, we will explain the process of backing up data, restoring the data, and removal of the app from the old device. In a nutshell, we will be covering the following points:
- Back up Data in Old Phone
- Restore Data in New Phone
- Delete Microsoft Authenticator Account in Old Phone
So, let’s not wait anymore and learn all the steps to transfer Microsoft Authenticator data on your new phone.
1] Enable Back up Data in Old Phone
Before moving onto your new phone, remember to back up account data. Otherwise, you won’t be able to recover that data on the new device. Fortunately, the Microsoft Authenticator app allows users to back up account data.
For that, take a look at the steps you must follow –
- Launch the Microsoft Authenticator app. Tap on the Hamburger menu present on the top-left part of the screen.
- Select Settings.
- Scroll down and search for the Backup section.
- Go to Cloud backup and turn on the toggle.
- Apple users will find the iCloud Backup option, while Android users will get the OneDrive Backup option connected with the Microsoft account.
- Wait a few seconds to get the notification that your data is being backed up. Tap on OK.
2] Restore Data in New Phone
Now that the data is backed up, you can restore or recover it on the new device. However, it is vital to understand that eliminating accounts from the old phone must not be done yet.
Check out the steps you must adopt to restore data –
- Download and install the Microsoft Authenticator app on your new phone. Open the app. Give your approval for the license terms.
- Do not sign in when asked. This is very important. If you sign in directly, you will lose all your data.
- Instead, tap on the Begin Recovery option.
- Here, you must enter the account email address from where you want the data to be restored.
- Type the verification code that is sent to your old phone.
- Wait for the recovery process to complete. Select OK.
With this process, you have officially transferred the Microsoft Authenticator. However, remember that additional verification may be necessary for some accounts.
Did you find any “Attention Required” items? There is nothing to worry about! If you do find this, enter the security information needed. You can also scan the QR Code and get the verification done.
Note: It is possible to recover the data even if you cannot access the old phone. Ensure you use the same email account on the previous phone with the Microsoft Authenticator. Since the app makes a cloud backup, all the data will be restored.
3] Delete Microsoft Authenticator Account in Old Phone
The last stage involves deleting the Microsoft Authenticator app from the old device. But before you move ahead, ensure everything works fine on the new phone.
Are you wondering why removing the app from the old device is vital? That is because getting verification codes on multiple devices increases the security risk.
Reset and Uninstall App
An easy way is to uninstall the app from the phone, or you can go to the app listing section and then choose to reset the app or clear the data. The options will change depending on the iOS and Android.
Remove Account
You can remove the Microsoft account from the settings menu on the iPhone Microsoft Authenticator app. Once in the settings, tap on the account name and then choose to remove the account.
Android users can remove the account by tapping on the Microsoft account, then clicking on the settings icon of the account, and choosing to remove it.
Conclusion
In this post, we have shared how you can seamlessly transfer Microsoft Authenticator to a new device. That way, you don’t have to worry about losing your account data. The app allows users to back up data on a cloud server. After that, you can transfer it to a new device via the Recovery option.
How to Remove Authenticator App from a Stolen or Damaged phone?
In this case, you have two options. First, go to the two-step verification area of your Account Security page and turn off verification for your old device. If your device is part of Work or School, you need to go to the two-step verification area of either your My Apps page or your organization’s company portal to turn off verification for your old device.
Where and What Data is Backuped by Microsoft Authenticator?
The Microsoft Authenticator app backs up data directly to the user’s account and requires an iCloud account for iPhone users and OneDrive for Android users. The data backed up includes accounts, usernames, metadata, and verification codes, among other things. The data is encrypted using JWE and hashed using SHA-512 for enhanced security.
