A Microsoft app for iOS and Android devices that enables authentication with two-factor verification, phone sign-in, and code generation
Microsoft Authenticator can only restore previous accounts if a backup or recovery method was configured on the old phone.
From the description:
- The old phone screen is broken and cannot be used.
- Cloud/backup was not enabled for Authenticator.
- The new phone has Authenticator installed and signed in, but no old accounts appear.
In this situation, the old Authenticator configurations (the 2FA entries) cannot be recovered to the new phone, because:
- For Microsoft personal accounts and third‑party accounts, the one‑time password codes are only restored if they were included in a backup.
- For work/school accounts, only the account names are restored, and sign‑in is required again.
- Without a backup (Android “Restore from backup” / iOS iCloud backup), Authenticator on the new phone has no way to import the old secrets.
To regain access to each service protected by Authenticator, it is necessary to go to each account’s security/2FA page (for example from a still‑signed‑in browser session) and:
- Add a new authentication method (SMS, email, or a new Authenticator setup on the new phone), or
- Use the site’s account recovery procedure if no other method works.
For future protection on the new phone:
- On Android, enable backup and use Restore from backup or Begin recovery when changing devices.
- On iOS, ensure iCloud Drive/Keychain/Backup and the Authenticator toggle are enabled so backups can be restored on a new device.
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