Issue Restoring Backup and Enabling Auto Backup

Follow these steps to protect the existing data and fix backup/restore as much as possible.

1. Keep the old phone as the source of truth

• Do not uninstall Microsoft Authenticator on the Samsung Galaxy S23.
• Do not clear app data or remove accounts from Authenticator on that device.
• As long as accounts remain there, sign-in codes will continue to work even if cloud backup is temporarily broken.

2. Verify backup prerequisites on Android On the Samsung Galaxy S23:
3. Open Microsoft Authenticator.
4. Go to Settings.
5. Under Backup, make sure a personal Microsoft account is signed in as the recovery account.
6. Ensure Cloud Backup (or similar backup toggle) is turned on.
   • If turning it on shows “Something went wrong” and asks to send logs, this indicates a backup/sign-in issue.

If the error persists and there is no visible “Send logs” option in Authenticator, collect logs from the Intune/Company Portal side if applicable (for example, if the device is managed):

1. Open the Intune Company Portal app (if installed).
2. Go to Menu → Help → Send logs.
3. Tap SEND LOGS, THEN EMAIL and send the email with incident details to the support contact for the environment.

This gives support the diagnostic data needed to investigate why backup is failing.

3. Understand what is backed up From the backup behavior:

• Microsoft personal accounts:
  • If using only one-time password codes, those codes are available once restored.
  • If using passwordless sign-in, only the account name is backed up; sign-in must be re-done after restore.
• Work or school accounts:
  • Only the account name is backed up; sign-in is required again after restore.
• Third-party accounts (Amazon, Facebook, Gmail, etc.):
  • One-time password codes are backed up and become available after restore.

This means even with a successful backup/restore, some accounts will still require re-authentication; this is expected and not data loss.

4. Restore only to a matching device type

• Authenticator backups can only be restored on the same device type.
  • Android backups cannot be restored on iOS, and iOS backups cannot be restored on Android.
• Ensure the new phone is also Android if trying to restore an Android backup.

5. If the backup on the new phone looks wrong

• If a backup dated today appears but does not match what is on the old phone, it may be a partial or incorrect backup.
• Do not rely on that backup alone; continue to use the old phone as the primary device until backup is confirmed working.

6. If backup still cannot be enabled If the “Something went wrong” error continues when enabling backup:
7. Confirm the recovery Microsoft account is valid and can sign in on the device (for example, via a browser).
8. If the device is managed by an organization (work profile / Intune):
   • Use the Report a problem / Send logs flow in Company Portal as described above and work with the organization’s support.
9. Avoid repeated toggling of backup on/off; instead, wait for support to review logs and confirm the issue is resolved.
10. Practical safety steps while backup is unreliable

• Keep Authenticator installed and working on the old phone until a successful backup and restore to the new phone is verified.
• For critical accounts (banking, email, etc.), note which ones use Authenticator and ensure alternative recovery methods (backup codes, SMS, or email recovery) are configured directly with those services.

These steps ensure that existing data on the Samsung Galaxy S23 remains safe while backup issues are investigated and resolved.

References:

• Back up account credentials in Microsoft Authenticator
• Back up your accounts in Microsoft Authenticator
• Report a problem in Company Portal or Intune app for Android