Moving Authenticator to a new phone
Microsoft Authenticator has built-in cloud backup. Run it before wiping the old device, otherwise everything has to be re-added by hand.
Try this first
- 1On the old phone open Authenticator > Settings > enable cloud backup. The backup account is your personal Microsoft account, not your work account.
- 2Install Authenticator on the new phone and choose 'Begin recovery'. Sign in with the same personal account.
- 3Work accounts then ask for one re-verification, usually via email or a prompt on your laptop.
- 4Only delete the old Authenticator after the new phone has answered and passed an MFA prompt.
When to bring us in
No backup and the old phone is already wiped? We need to reset your MFA methods in the tenant; email us.
See also
- Work and personal apps blur together on the same phoneAndroid Enterprise and iOS-with-Intune can enforce a work profile, isolating business apps in a separate container.
- Setting up Microsoft 365 on a new phoneOutlook, Teams, and OneDrive run smoothest if you install Authenticator first and sign the others in afterwards.
- No more push notifications from Teams, Outlook, or AuthenticatorAlmost always either battery optimisation or a toggle disabled inside the app's notification settings.
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