Transferring Microsoft Authenticator to a New Device (Already Signed In)

I followed the steps removed Authenticator on my new device and reinstalled and selected Restore Backup Option.. I was able to restore the account however each account shows a message "Action Required" and the action is to "Scan the QR Code provided by your Organization to finish recovering this account".. Do I need to connect with each of these accounts and basically recreate them or what am I missing here?

Thanks..

I just did this (because I also missed it initially) and it worked. Once you do remove account, it gives the 'Restore Backup' at the bottom and I was able to successfully get everything from my old phone.

Thanks for posting!

This topic helped me backup my keys to another MS Authenticator app on a different phone.

In addition I was also able to extract the keys and export them to Aegis Authenticator app using this guide: https://gist.github.com/chowder/2ead734d60d84d4d15034fcce81aaaf9 This required a rooted android emulator with a play store, but that is the only way that I know off to export keys to a non Microsoft app.

Additionally Aegis can also import Google Authenticator QR codes which most Authenticator apps cannot read. And it can even import Authenticator QR codes from an image file, so you don't need a camera and can use a screenshot image instead. Aegis exports standard QR codes that all Authenticator apps work with.

The reason I exported them is so I no longer have to use Google or Microsoft apps that force users to stay in their ecosystem. I exported some codes to a secure pin protected airgapped hardware authenticator as a secure backup in case my phone breaks or gets lost.
Remember: 2 factor increases your chance of losing access to your account. Always backup your second factor or add an additional alternative second factor.

I had the same issue and I found a way around it.

On my old phone, I performed a backup of my accounts (Top right menu > Settings > Cloud Backup).

Then on my new phone:

• I forced-stop Authenticator (Settings > Applications > Authenticator > Force stop)
• For good measure, I also flushed the cache for Authenticator (in the same section as the Force stop option)
• I then used Edge to log on to my Microsoft account and then immediately log out. No reason why you couldn't use Chrome to do that as well
• I also made sure to force-stop any other Microsoft application that might be running at the time and using my Microsoft credentials (in my case, both Outlook and Teams)
• I started Authenticator again, and it was as if I had freshly installed it. After asking me to allow/disallow notifications and sending logs to MS, it offered me to log on to my account, but at the bottom of the screen there was an option to restore from a backup
• I followed the instructions, and all my accounts wound up transferred to the new device.

Hope this may help someone.

Hi, I just had the same issue and I couldn't log in to my work account as it was asking security code and couldn't see notification in the authenticator app (must have been going to the old phone....) endless loop! I believe the only solution is to reset manually all the accounts.

What I did:

• disable the Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) in my work account (outlook)
• then sign in in my work account: it will then ask to setup MFA and will send you to the microsoft authenticator app to setup
• work account is then visible on microsoft app and should work as it should.

hope that helps

Riko