Accounts not showing up in Microsoft Authenticator after successfully completing recovery on new Android device

Question

Accounts not showing up in Microsoft Authenticator after successfully completing recovery on new Android device

MS Learner 11

I recently switched to a new smartphone and have completed recovery successfully on the new phone, but only the sync account is showing up in the 'Authenticator' tab on the new device. Backup is enabled on the previous device and says the backup was last updated 2022-12-04 11:06:27 AM. The same personal Microsoft account is being used on both devices as the 'sync account', I have uninstalled the app on the new device after force-stopping the app and clearing its cache and data, then reinstalling it with the same results. There are a large number of accounts on my previous device I need to transfer over to the new one, as depicted in the below screenshots. Please help.

badisa sai santosh 0 Reputation points

2023-10-14T19:19:14.5666667+00:00

I do have the same problem my TCS codevita account is not showing in my new phone . Can you please help
Waqar Rasool 5 Reputation points

2023-10-18T20:38:57.7733333+00:00

Having the same issue, setting up aurhenticator app on my iPhone15, and none of my accounts (except Microsoft one) are showing up in the new device app. And i dont know how to move the old accounts manually.

seriously Microsoft? Google authenticator setup was a breeze, and now i am stuck with Microsoft authenticator.
XX 0 Reputation points

2023-10-26T00:07:36.9266667+00:00

Any updates? Same issue on iPhone 15 Pro.

I'll provide my own update: I decided to sign out (I think the app called it "remove account") and then I selected the recover backup option at the start menu. Face ID signed me in and all my accounts were there just like on my old phone. I had iCloud backup toggled on with my old phone, which is probably necessary for this to work (otherwise I suppose there's no backup to recover).

3 answers

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badisa sai santosh 0 Reputation points

2023-10-14T19:19:14.5666667+00:00

I do have the same problem my TCS codevita account is not showing in my new phone . Can you please help
Waqar Rasool 5 Reputation points

2023-10-18T20:38:57.7733333+00:00

Having the same issue, setting up aurhenticator app on my iPhone15, and none of my accounts (except Microsoft one) are showing up in the new device app. And i dont know how to move the old accounts manually.

seriously Microsoft? Google authenticator setup was a breeze, and now i am stuck with Microsoft authenticator.
XX 0 Reputation points

2023-10-26T00:07:36.9266667+00:00

Any updates? Same issue on iPhone 15 Pro.

I'll provide my own update: I decided to sign out (I think the app called it "remove account") and then I selected the recover backup option at the start menu. Face ID signed me in and all my accounts were there just like on my old phone. I had iCloud backup toggled on with my old phone, which is probably necessary for this to work (otherwise I suppose there's no backup to recover).

Answer 1

Anonymous

You can restore from backup (assuming there was one) but make sure no accounts have been added to the newly install app. Then sign on with recovery account to do the restore.

You can recover your account credentials from your cloud account, but you must first make sure that the account you're recovering doesn't exist in the Microsoft Authenticator app. For example, if you're recovering your personal Microsoft account, you must make sure you don't have a personal Microsoft account already set up in the authenticator app. This check is important so we can be sure we're not overwriting or erasing an existing account by mistake.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/back-up-and-recover-account-credentials-in-the-authenticator-app-bb939936-7a8d-4e88-bc43-49bc1a700a40

--please don't forget to upvote and Accept as answer if the reply is helpful--

MS Learner 11 Reputation points

2022-12-07T01:08:48.693+00:00

Each time I have gone through the recovery process on this new Android phone, there were zero (0) accounts present in the Microsoft Authenticator app. The sync account is the account I first signed in with and did the recovery with. No other accounts existed in the Microsoft Authenticator app.
Charles Luginbill 0 Reputation points

2025-02-28T00:27:24.25+00:00

A little over two years later and your answer was helpful. After installing Authenticator, it asked me to sign in with my MS account. I thought that would get the restore going. It did not. I followed your instructions, deleted my MS account from the list, and then it prompted me to restore from cloud backup, and THEN it used my MS account to connect. All my codes showed up instantly!

Thank you!

Answer 2

CK 10

I deleted the Authenticator App from the new iPhone completely. Then downloaded it again from the App Store. Then selected “Restore from backup” at the bottom of the screen. Then I was able to see all my entries.

Adam Cameron 0 Reputation points

2024-04-27T17:47:23.5033333+00:00

This worked for me, once I went back to my old phone and actually created a back-up.

Answer 3

Anonymous

If the backup is empty of accounts then you may need to work with the service providers about account recovery methods.

--please don't forget to upvote and Accept as answer if the reply is helpful--

MS Learner 11 Reputation points

2022-12-07T03:27:43.213+00:00

In the screenshots I have posted; the one that has the full list of accounts is the original device and all of those accounts are active and in good standing, the other screenshot that only has 2 accounts listed is the new device. None of the accounts need to be recovered as I can still access them using the backup methods I have in place for each, as well as the Authenticator notifications that still function for all accounts shown for both devices. There isn't an instance in which account recovery is needed. That is not the issue. The issue is simply that when I perform the "recovery" that is offered by the Authenticator app when first setting it up after installing it, none of my accounts show up in the authenticator tab. My passwords and addresses all show up in their respective tabs, but no authenticator accounts, which are used for enabling passwordless authentication via approval of push notifications or generating OTPs. These are what are present on my old device and what are not being restored from the backup taken on the old device. The second account on the new device, which is one of two total accounts shown, is one that I added manually as a test to see if this is an option. This was done separately/after the recovery operation.
Anonymous

2022-12-07T03:31:51.71+00:00

Ok, gotcha. One thing you might try on the old phone is to turn off cloud backup, then back on again but try using a different microsoft personal account. Then try restoring again on new phone.
Anonymous

2022-12-07T13:59:08.61+00:00

Just checking if there's any progress or updates?

--please don't forget to upvote and Accept as answer if the reply is helpful--
MS Learner 11 Reputation points

2022-12-25T09:05:28.187+00:00

No progress yet; I have decided to return the newer phone. Not because of this issue or anything like that. So while an answer to the problem has yet to be identified, the issue is now resolved. Thank you for your suggestions.
Anonymous

2022-12-25T13:33:54.873+00:00

Just a reminder, please don't forget to close up the thread by

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Accounts not showing up in Microsoft Authenticator after successfully completing recovery on new Android device

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