Authenticator App Migration and integration

Question

I got a new Pixel 10 Pro xl a few months back and I am having difficulty migrating my authentication data onto my new phone. I now have most of my authentication IDs on my old phone and a few on my new.

How do I integrate the two without losing any data?

Answer 1

Microsoft Authenticator does not support merging or “integrating” two different app instances. The backup/restore model is one-way per platform and per account type, and backups can only be restored on the same OS type.

Key points from the available guidance:

1. Backup/restore is platform-bound
   • Accounts backed up on iOS cannot be restored on Android and vice versa.
   • On a given platform, Authenticator uses the platform backup (iCloud on iOS; cloud backup on Android) to restore accounts to a new device.
2. What is actually backed up
   • Microsoft personal accounts:
     • If using only a one-time password (OTP), the OTP configuration is backed up and available after restore.
     • If using passwordless sign-in, only the account name is backed up; sign-in must be completed again after restore.
   • Work or school accounts:
     • Only the account name is backed up; sign-in is required again after restore.
   • 3rd‑party OTP accounts (Amazon, Facebook, Gmail, etc.):
     • OTP configurations are backed up and available after restore.
3. No “merge” function
   • There is no supported way to merge two partially populated Authenticator instances (old phone + new phone) into a single combined set automatically.
   • To avoid losing data, each account that is only on one device must be re‑added manually on the other device (for example, by signing into the service’s security page and scanning a new QR code with the Authenticator app on the target phone).
4. Recommended approach
   • Ensure backup is enabled on the primary device that currently has the most complete set of accounts.
   • On the other device, sign in to each account’s security/MFA settings and add Microsoft Authenticator on that device by scanning the QR code or entering the secret key.
   • For work/school and passwordless accounts, expect to re‑sign in when restoring or re‑adding them, because only the account name is backed up.

Because there is no automatic integration, the only supported way to end up with an identical set of accounts on both phones is to manually add any missing accounts on one device using each service’s own MFA setup page.

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References:

• Back up your accounts in Microsoft Authenticator
• Migrate to a new iPhone for work