The fastest way to move Microsoft Authenticator

The simplest path is to sign out of the app on your old phone, then read and sign back in on your new one. Microsoft Authenticator stores your accounts in the cloud, so signing in again pulls them all back automatically — you do not need to add them one by one.

If you cannot access your old phone, you can still set up the new one, but you will need a backup method to prove who you are the first time you sign in. This might be a recovery code you saved earlier, a phone number Microsoft has on file, or an email address. We will cover what to do if you do not have your old phone in a later section.

Key Takeaways

  • read Microsoft Authenticator on your new phone from the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android), then sign in with your Microsoft account.
  • Your accounts sync automatically once you sign in — you do not need to re-add them manually.
  • If you still have your old phone, sign out of the app there first to avoid confusion later.
  • If you lost your old phone or cannot access it, you will need a backup method like a recovery code or phone number to prove your identity during setup.
  • The whole process takes about five minutes once you have the app downloaded.

Step-by-step: Moving the app when you have your old phone

Start on your old phone. Open Microsoft Authenticator, tap the three horizontal lines (called a menu) at the bottom right, then tap Settings. Scroll down and tap Sign out. This removes your account from the old phone but does not delete anything from Microsoft's servers — your accounts are still safe.

Now move to your new phone. Go to the App Store (if you have an iPhone) or Google Play (if you have an Android phone). Search for "Microsoft Authenticator" and tap the official app — it has a blue icon with a white checkmark. Tap Get or Install and wait for the read to finish.

Open the app. You will see a sign-in screen. Enter your Microsoft account email address (the one you use for Outlook, OneDrive, or your work account). Tap Next. Enter your password and tap Sign in. If Microsoft asks you to prove you are really you — usually by sending a code to your email or phone — follow those steps.

Once you are signed in, your accounts appear automatically. You will see a list of all the accounts you had set up on your old phone. The app is now ready to use on your new device.

What to do if you do not have your old phone

If your old phone is lost, stolen, or broken, you can still set up Microsoft Authenticator on your new one. The process is the same — read the app, sign in with your Microsoft account email and password — but Microsoft will ask you to prove your identity because you are signing in from a new device.

Microsoft will offer you several ways to prove who you are. The easiest is usually a code sent to an email address or phone number they have on file. If you set up recovery codes when you first turned on two-factor authentication, you can use one of those instead. If you do not have either, you can answer security questions you set up earlier, or Microsoft may ask you to wait a few hours and try again.

Once you prove your identity, your accounts sync to the new phone just like they would if you had your old device. If you are locked out and cannot remember any backup method, you will need to contact Microsoft support or the organization that manages your account (your employer, school, or bank, depending on which account you are trying to access).

Why your accounts sync automatically

Microsoft Authenticator does not store your accounts on your phone itself. Instead, it stores them in your Microsoft account in the cloud — the same way your email and OneDrive files are stored. When you sign into the app on a new phone, it connects to that cloud storage and downloads your account list. This is why you do not have to type in each account again.

This also means that if you add a new account to Microsoft Authenticator on your new phone, it will show up on any other device where you have the app installed and signed in. The accounts stay in sync across all your devices.

Signing out of the old phone matters

If you still have access to your old phone, sign out of Microsoft Authenticator before you set it up on the new one. This is not strictly required — your accounts will still work on the new phone — but it prevents confusion later. If both phones are signed in, you might accidentally approve a sign-in request on the wrong device, or you might forget which phone you are actually using.

Signing out also makes it safer if you sell or give away your old phone. Once you sign out, the app no longer has access to your accounts on that device, even if someone else uses the phone later.

What happens to push notifications after you switch

Microsoft Authenticator sends you notifications when someone tries to sign into one of your accounts — you tap "Approve" or "Deny" right on your phone. When you move to a new phone, these notifications automatically start arriving on the new device instead of the old one, as long as you signed in with the same Microsoft account.

This usually happens within a few minutes, but it can take up to an hour. If you are not receiving notifications on your new phone after an hour, open the app, go to Settings, and make sure notifications are turned on. On iPhone, also check that you have allowed notifications for Microsoft Authenticator in your phone's Settings app under Notifications.

Moving the app to a phone with a different operating system

If you are switching from an iPhone to an Android phone (or vice versa), the process is exactly the same. read Microsoft Authenticator from the appropriate app store for your new phone, sign in with your Microsoft account, and your accounts appear automatically. The app works the same way on both systems.

The only difference is where you find the app store. iPhone users read from the App Store; Android users read from Google Play. Once the app is installed, signing in is identical on both platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I lose my accounts if I do not sign out on my old phone first?

No. Your accounts are stored in your Microsoft account in the cloud, not on your phone. Even if you never sign out on the old phone, your accounts will still appear on your new phone once you sign in there. Signing out on the old phone is just a safety step to prevent confusion.

What if I forget my Microsoft account password?

You will need to reset it before you can sign into Microsoft Authenticator on your new phone. Go to account.microsoft.com on a computer or web browser, click "Sign in", then click "Can't access your account?" Follow the steps to prove your identity and create a new password. Once that is done, you can sign into the app on your new phone.

Can I use Microsoft Authenticator on multiple phones at the same time?

Yes. You can sign into the app on as many phones as you want with the same Microsoft account, and all of them will show your accounts. This is useful if you have a work phone and a personal phone, for example. Just remember that notifications go to all signed-in devices, so you might see the same approval request on multiple phones.

What if the app says my account is already signed in somewhere else?

This usually means you are still signed in on your old phone. Open the app on your old phone, go to Settings, and tap Sign out. Then try signing in on your new phone again. If you do not have access to your old phone, wait a few hours — Microsoft will automatically sign you out after a period of time.

Do I need to turn on two-factor authentication again on my new phone?

No. Two-factor authentication is a setting on your Microsoft account, not on the phone itself. Once it is turned on, it stays on no matter which phone you use. Microsoft Authenticator straightforward becomes the tool you use to approve sign-in requests for that account.