After changing phones how to regain my authenticator codes to applications

Question

After changing my phone i had to install the authenticator app on the new phone to have the codes to another applications for exmaple, Discord. But when i logged into it with the same email, phone number etc. The codes weren't here, and they still aren't available. Since i've been logged out from a few applications where i had the authentication method turned on Icannot log into them since the codes disappeared.

Answer 1

Hi Antek,

Thanks for your message. Here's how to approach your situation:

Problem: After changing phones and reinstalling the Microsoft Authenticator (or similar) app, your 2FA codes for applications like Discord are missing. Logging in with the same email or phone number did not restore them, and now you're locked out of those apps.

Cause: Authenticator apps (like Microsoft Authenticator, Google Authenticator, or Authy) often store TOTP codes locally on the device. Unless cloud backup or sync was explicitly enabled, codes do not automatically transfer when reinstalling the app on a new device.

Solutions:

1. Check for Backup (Microsoft Authenticator only)

If you used Microsoft Authenticator and had cloud backup enabled:

• Open the Authenticator app on the new phone.

Tap the account icon (top-right) > Settings > Recovery.

Sign in with the same Microsoft account used for backup.

If a backup exists, you'll be prompted to restore it.

If you didn’t enable backup previously, the codes are not recoverable.

2. Recover Access to Each Application Individually

For each app (e.g., Discord, Google, Instagram):

Go to the login page and click “Can’t access your code?” or “Lost your 2FA device?”

Use recovery methods such as:

Backup codes (if saved)

  SMS or email verification
  
     Support forms to verify your identity manually
     

For Discord specifically: Visit https://support.discord.com and search for “Lost 2FA access” – they have a recovery process you can follow.

3. Prevent This in the Future

For future protection:

Enable cloud backup in Microsoft or Google Authenticator (Microsoft requires you to be signed in with your Microsoft account).

Consider using an app that supports multi-device sync, like Authy, which allows you to recover 2FA codes across devices securely.

Summary: Since authenticator codes are stored locally, losing the old phone without backup means they can't be restored. You’ll need to recover each account manually through their recovery options or contact support.

Let me know if you'd like help finding recovery links for specific services.

Best regards, Martin