Move Authenticator App from Android to iOS

Question

Move Authenticator App from Android to iOS

Flo 95

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.

Marcelo Quintino da Silva 275 Reputation points

2023-03-27T15:16:17.93+00:00

That's ridiculous.
Gene_N 10 Reputation points

2023-09-07T00:26:40.3733333+00:00

Ditto 👍
Bo Birdsong 30 Reputation points

2023-10-18T18:42:09.6533333+00:00

This is having a severe negative impact on my outlook of the app. Why is it not possible to backup to my Microsoft account (yet)?
Dyfed Roberts 25 Reputation points

2023-12-05T18:33:15.1633333+00:00

Same issue - and trying to add accounts to authenticator on iphone seems ridiculously complicated
Simon Wandzel 10 Reputation points

2024-02-06T15:30:51.9733333+00:00

2024 and still no solution. Moving a huge amount of TOTP Accounts from Android to iPhone manually is absolutely inacceptable.
Henrik Friman 25 Reputation points

2024-03-05T10:48:48.6433333+00:00

Indead ridiculous - bordering on criminally moronic.

Having setup MFA and added password management for every service able, including services and web sites for my kids as well, I now face more entries, than I'd care even to count, and much less setup again.

Guess, I'd rather switch to something else, while I'm at it.
Devansh Kumar 10 Reputation points

2024-04-15T09:16:01.5733333+00:00

If you use MS Authenticator on Android and you've already used backup feature on your device then you can't restore that backup on iOS devices. I know this is just stupid thing but this is what it is. My recommendation is to use Google Authenticator as it helps you to sync your Authenticator codes with any device ( doesn't matter if it is iOS or Android ) it gives you code wherever your Gmail is signed in. Thanks me later.
MK 0 Reputation points

2024-09-12T18:47:18.0466667+00:00

Same issue here: No access to shared data, not possible to work on a project, productivity=0. Moving from Android to iPhone is not such an exotic use-case that the developers must consider!
Nick Minar 0 Reputation points

2024-10-10T19:55:54.1533333+00:00

This is enough for me to never use MS Authenticator again.
Ryan Daniels 5 Reputation points

2024-11-12T14:55:53.8466667+00:00

This is so stupid. Moved to Google Authenticator.

Accepted answer

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Marcelo Quintino da Silva 275 Reputation points

2023-03-27T15:16:17.93+00:00

That's ridiculous.
Gene_N 10 Reputation points

2023-09-07T00:26:40.3733333+00:00

Ditto 👍
Bo Birdsong 30 Reputation points

2023-10-18T18:42:09.6533333+00:00

This is having a severe negative impact on my outlook of the app. Why is it not possible to backup to my Microsoft account (yet)?
Dyfed Roberts 25 Reputation points

2023-12-05T18:33:15.1633333+00:00

Same issue - and trying to add accounts to authenticator on iphone seems ridiculously complicated
Simon Wandzel 10 Reputation points

2024-02-06T15:30:51.9733333+00:00

2024 and still no solution. Moving a huge amount of TOTP Accounts from Android to iPhone manually is absolutely inacceptable.
Henrik Friman 25 Reputation points

2024-03-05T10:48:48.6433333+00:00

Indead ridiculous - bordering on criminally moronic.

Having setup MFA and added password management for every service able, including services and web sites for my kids as well, I now face more entries, than I'd care even to count, and much less setup again.

Guess, I'd rather switch to something else, while I'm at it.
Devansh Kumar 10 Reputation points

2024-04-15T09:16:01.5733333+00:00

If you use MS Authenticator on Android and you've already used backup feature on your device then you can't restore that backup on iOS devices. I know this is just stupid thing but this is what it is. My recommendation is to use Google Authenticator as it helps you to sync your Authenticator codes with any device ( doesn't matter if it is iOS or Android ) it gives you code wherever your Gmail is signed in. Thanks me later.
MK 0 Reputation points

2024-09-12T18:47:18.0466667+00:00

Same issue here: No access to shared data, not possible to work on a project, productivity=0. Moving from Android to iPhone is not such an exotic use-case that the developers must consider!
Nick Minar 0 Reputation points

2024-10-10T19:55:54.1533333+00:00

This is enough for me to never use MS Authenticator again.
Ryan Daniels 5 Reputation points

2024-11-12T14:55:53.8466667+00:00

This is so stupid. Moved to Google Authenticator.

Answer 1

Carlos Solís Salazar 18,191 MVP Volunteer Moderator

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.

Samynaden Kathan 20 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 10 Reputation points

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

Why not? Google lets you do it...
Bo Birdsong 30 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 25 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 10 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 10 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 25 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 15 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 10 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 10 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?
Maxima 121 Reputation points

2024-05-17T17:21:33.4+00:00

Hi could you please write the exact steps for "If you still can access your account, you can configure a second Microsoft Authenticator app (your iOS device"
Rakesh Pedram 10 Reputation points

2024-05-18T06:48:21.2733333+00:00

This is no workaround. It just shows the halfhearted support MS is giving to this app. A onetime effort to migrate to google will be worth it but it is a daunting task.
aaron.jones@betach.com 5 Reputation points

2024-06-02T18:18:43.85+00:00

This is not an acceptable answer. Its been a year and somehow nobody at Microsoft has figured this out. If I have to go through all the trouble of setting up the 120+ accounts I've configured with MS Authenticator, I may as well use a different software entirely.
Sandor Nagy 0 Reputation points

2024-07-18T17:30:03.4433333+00:00

hi There, I don't want to configure a second 2FA device. I would like to move to a new device, having one 2FA device, without setting up each account one by one.
Charlie Shilling 5 Reputation points

2024-08-07T01:24:54.4166667+00:00

This is embarassing. Time to reconfigure all of my accounts with a different app.
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Eduardo Ottoni 0 Reputation points

2025-02-06T10:14:58.3333333+00:00

2 years and still this problem. If you need someone to develop modular that can be ported between operational systems contact me.

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Move Authenticator App from Android to iOS

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