Google Authenticator codes can reach a new phone in two ways: sign in to the same Google Account if the codes were synced, or export them as QR codes from the old phone and scan them on the new one. If the old phone is gone and the codes were never synced, Google says to set up Authenticator again on each affected service. Google’s instructions cover all three paths.
| Method | What you need | Is the old phone required? | Next step |
| Google Account sync | Codes already synced to a Google Account; sign in to that same account in Authenticator on the new phone | No | The codes sync to the new device |
| QR transfer | The old phone with the codes, the latest Authenticator app on it, and the new phone | Yes; it must be unlocked to export | Scan the exported QR code or codes, then check for Google’s transfer confirmation |
| Service-by-service recovery | Access to each service where Authenticator was set up | No, but unsynced codes on a missing phone cannot be transferred this way | Remove the old Authenticator setup and link the new device at each service |
Sync codes with your Google Account
Google lists Google Authenticator 6.0 or later on Android and 4.0 or later on iOS as the app-version requirements for syncing. To use Authenticator on Android, Google also lists Android 6.0 or later as the operating-system minimum. Sign in to Authenticator on the new phone with the same Google Account used for the synced codes; Google says they sync automatically.
If you use Authenticator without a Google Account, the codes stay on that device and aren’t available on your other devices. Google says codes synced to a Google Account are encrypted in transit and at rest. Choose the sync route only if your codes are already synced; otherwise, use QR transfer while you still have the phone holding them.
Transfer codes by QR
Use this route when the old phone is available and holds the codes. Keep both phones with you, and make sure the old one is unlocked.
- On the old phone, open Authenticator’s transfer feature and choose the export option. The old device needs the latest Authenticator app.
- Select the accounts to move. Google says transferring several accounts may produce more than one QR code, so scan each code shown.
- On the new phone, open the import option and scan the exported QR code or codes.
- Check for Google’s transfer confirmation, then make sure the accounts appear in Authenticator on the new phone.
Google’s help uses different labels for the transfer controls, including Transfer accounts and Transfer codes. Look for the transfer, export, or import option in your app rather than relying on one exact menu label.
Before erasing the old phone, sign in to important accounts using the new one. That check is practical advice based on Google’s instructions: manual export depends on the old phone, and recovering unsynced codes after it is gone means handling each service separately.
Keep the old phone until the new one has the codes you need and you’ve checked access to your important accounts.
If the old phone is gone
If the codes were synced, sign in to the same Google Account in Authenticator on the new phone. If they weren’t synced, Google directs you to visit every service where Authenticator was configured, remove the old codes there, and link the new device. The service’s own recovery options may also be needed; transferring Authenticator does not itself restore access to every protected account.
Google also recommends setting up additional two-step verification methods. Its notice that Authenticator may take up to seven days to become an available sign-in option applies to a Google Account sign-in option.
