Microsoft Authenticator for Cloud Backup Problem

Question

Recently, I changed from my old phone to a new device, so I need to back up and restore my Microsoft Authenticator data, especially my one time passwords (OTP codes). However, the backup feature on my old device is not working.

Whenever I try to create a backup, the app keeps showing the message: “Something went wrong. Please send us logs using the Send logs option.” However, I cannot find the “Send logs” option anywhere in the app.

Because of this issue, I’m unable to create a proper backup before moving to my new phone. I’ve tried multiple times, including signing in again and checking the backup settings, but the same error continues to appear.

Since I may lose access to my accounts if the backup cannot be completed, I’m looking for another way to back up or transfer my Microsoft Authenticator data. I also could not find any direct Microsoft Authenticator customer support, so I’m posting here for help. Thank!

Answer 1

There was a Microsoft cloud infrastructure outage which resulted in the error message showing up no matter what you did between 2026-05-09 and 2026-05-18/2026-05-19. There was nothing you could do to fix this. Microsoft did something to fix it. It should be working now, so please try again!

Answer 2

The backup error message “Something went wrong. Please send us logs using the Send logs option” appears when Microsoft Authenticator cannot complete cloud backup, most commonly because no backup account is properly signed in.

To enable backup and move to the new phone, use these steps on the old device, depending on platform.

1. Confirm a recovery Microsoft account is used
   • A personal Microsoft account is required as the recovery account for backup.
   • If there is no such account yet, create one first, then use it in Authenticator.
2. Turn on backup in Authenticator
   • Open Microsoft Authenticator on the old device.
   • Go to Settings.
   • Under Backup:
     • On iOS: Turn on iCloud backup.
     • On Android: Turn on Cloud Backup.
   • When prompted, choose Continue or Change account and sign in with the personal Microsoft account that will hold the backup.
3. Fix the “Something went wrong” backup state
   • If the error appears because the app is not properly signed in:
     1. In Settings → Backup, turn Cloud Backup/iCloud backup off.
     2. Confirm deletion of the existing backup if prompted.
     3. Turn the backup toggle on again.
     4. When asked, select Continue or Change account, and sign in with the correct personal Microsoft account.
   • After a successful sign-in, the backup status under Backup should show as enabled instead of error.
4. Platform limitations to be aware of
   • Backup and restore only work between the same device type:
     • iOS backup → restore only on iOS.
     • Android backup → restore only on Android.
   • Authenticator backs up account credentials and app settings (such as account order), but not emails or files.
5. What gets backed up
   • Microsoft personal accounts:
     • If using only a one-time password (OTP) code, the OTP configuration is backed up and available after restore.
     • If also using passwordless sign-in, only the account name is backed up; after restore, sign-in must be completed again to re-enable passwordless.
   • Work or school accounts:
     • Only the account name is backed up; after restore, sign-in is required again.
   • Third-party accounts (e.g., Amazon, Facebook, Gmail):
     • OTP configurations are backed up and available once restored.
6. Restoring on the new device
   • Install Microsoft Authenticator on the new device (same platform as the old one).
   • Sign in with the same personal Microsoft account used for backup.
   • Follow the in-app restore prompts to bring back the saved accounts and OTP configurations.
7. If backup still cannot be enabled
   • If the backup toggle continues to fail and cannot be turned on (for example, due to persistent sign-in or backup errors), there is no supported alternative cloud backup mechanism beyond what is described.
   • In that case, each account must be recovered or re-added manually on the new device using the account provider’s recovery methods (for example, alternate email/phone, recovery codes, or admin reset for work/school accounts).

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References:

• Back up account credentials in Microsoft Authenticator
• Back up your accounts in Microsoft Authenticator