Hey dear community, due to a device change, I need to move the Microsoft Authenticator App from an Android device to an iOS device. I have made an extra backup in the Authenticator app on the Android device. However, this Backup is not recognized on the iOS device. How can I restore the backup on the iOS device? Is there any trick to do so? Best regards and thanks, Flo.

Thank you for asking this question on the Microsoft Q&A Platform. Unfortunately, there is no way to move Microsoft Authenticator backups from Android to iOS or vice versa. If you still can access your account, you can configure a second Microsoft Authenticator app (your iOS device). and for third-party apps configure the 2FA again. Hope this helps! Accept Answer and Upvote , if any of the above helped, this thread can help others in the community looking for remediation for similar issues. NOTE: To answer you as quickly as possible, please mention me in your reply.

Move Authenticator App from Android to iOS

Accepted answer

Carlos Solís Salazar 16,701 Reputation points MVP

2023-01-13T12:29:55.5933333+00:00

Thank you for asking this question on the Microsoft Q&A Platform.

Unfortunately, there is no way to move Microsoft Authenticator backups from Android to iOS or vice versa.

If you still can access your account, you can configure a second Microsoft Authenticator app (your iOS device). and for third-party apps configure the 2FA again.

Hope this helps!

Accept Answer and Upvote, if any of the above helped, this thread can help others in the community looking for remediation for similar issues.

NOTE: To answer you as quickly as possible, please mention me in your reply.
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10 people found this answer helpful.
Samynaden Kathan 10 Reputation points

2023-08-26T11:37:20.3533333+00:00

why can't you do something like google authenticator when you need to migrate it provide a qr code for the transfer...

Gene_N 0 Reputation points

2023-09-07T00:25:56.05+00:00

Why not? Google lets you do it...

Bo Birdsong 5 Reputation points

2023-10-18T18:52:55.9333333+00:00

So if 2FA is set up on an Android device, and you move to an iPhone if you do not keep your device, you are effectively locked out of all 3rd party accounts until you work with their customer service? That seems like a pretty big product flaw - the primary feature of this app is lacking. You should be able to backup everything to your Microsoft account.

Matthew Berggren 5 Reputation points

2023-10-18T20:13:58.84+00:00

This is the most insane thing ever. Is this retaliation against users who dared to purchase an iPhone from Apple and are now switching to Android? What a draconian policy.

brett 5 Reputation points

2023-11-12T21:13:40.8366667+00:00

What a joke!! If Google can do it with there authenticator why can't microsoft do it as well!! Half-assed it as usual Microsoft, Well done!!

GG 5 Reputation points

2023-11-21T20:37:51.6+00:00

Microsoft this is a horrible solution. People change phones all the time. Why can we upload our backup to the cloud and then reload it to our new phone? Have a common file backup for all phone types

Dyfed Roberts 20 Reputation points

2023-12-05T18:30:50.3266667+00:00

Pretty pathetic that you cannot move authenticator accounts from Android to iphone ! I have tried to add accounts to authenticator on my new iphone but absolutely no success - absolutely useless!

Patrick 5 Reputation points

2023-12-15T03:11:45.7733333+00:00

This is a joke right...? I have 30 accounts with 2FA set up on Microsoft Authenticator.

Rakesh Pedram 5 Reputation points

2023-12-25T15:31:31.28+00:00

This is very pathetic. Recreating all 2fa is so painful. Google has such a simple way to migrate all 2fa in one go.

Tim Cart 5 Reputation points

2024-01-10T01:32:38.4566667+00:00

This one of the most pathetic things I have ever heard in my life. As everyone else has stated, Google can do it and, frankly, they have no idea what they are doing. So, what does that say about Microsoft?
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Move Authenticator App from Android to iOS

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