How to Transfer Google Authenticator to a New Phone (Android and iPhone)

Bought a new phone and worried about losing your two-step codes? This guide shows how to transfer Google Authenticator to a new phone, for Android and iPhone users in Bangladesh who protect Facebook, Gmail, bKash-linked email, freelancing or crypto accounts with it. The short answer: install Google Authenticator on the new phone and sign in with the same Google Account, and synced codes appear automatically. If your codes are not synced, open the app on the old phone, choose Transfer codes > Export codes, and scan the QR code with the new phone. Do not reset the old phone until every code works.

Before You Start: A Quick Checklist

A few minutes of preparation prevents the most common disaster: wiping the old phone and being locked out of your accounts.

• Keep the old phone working and charged. You need it for the export.
• Update Google Authenticator on both phones from the Play Store or App Store. Google says the app needs Android 6.0 or later, and account sync needs app version 6.0 or later.
• Know your Google Account password if you plan to use sync.
• Find your backup codes. Most services (Google, Facebook, GitHub, Binance and others) gave you one-time backup codes when you turned on two-step verification. Keep them nearby.
• Have good light and a steady hand for scanning QR codes from screen to screen.

How to Transfer Google Authenticator to a New Phone: Three Methods

There are three ways to move your codes. Pick the first one that fits your situation.

Method 1: Sync through your Google Account (easiest)

Newer versions of Google Authenticator can save your codes to your Google Account. If you turned this on, moving to a new phone takes about a minute.

1. On the old phone, open Google Authenticator and check the top right corner. If you see your Google profile picture with a cloud tick, your codes are synced.
2. On the new phone, install Google Authenticator.
3. Open it, tap Get started and sign in with the same Google Account.
4. Your codes download automatically. Check each one against the old phone; both should show the same six digits at the same time.

If you see a cloud with a line through it on the old phone, your codes are only on that device. Either sign in to sync them first, or use Method 2.

Method 2: Export and import with a QR code

This works without a Google Account and also between Android and iPhone.

1. New phone: install Google Authenticator and open it. You can sign in or choose to use it without an account.
2. Old phone: open the app, tap the menu and choose Transfer codes (called Transfer accounts in some versions), then Export codes. Unlock with your PIN or fingerprint when asked.
3. Select the accounts to move and tap Next. The old phone shows a QR code. If you selected many accounts, it may show more than one QR code.
4. New phone: tap the menu, choose Transfer codes > Import codes, then Scan QR code.
5. Scan every QR code shown on the old phone, one by one.
6. When the new phone confirms the import, compare a few codes on both phones.

Treat that QR code like a password. Anyone who scans it gets your codes, so do not screenshot it, share it on Messenger or let others photograph it.

Method 3: Set up each account again

If the old phone is broken or the export fails, sign in to each service on a computer, open its security or two-step verification settings, remove the old authenticator and add a new one. The site shows a fresh QR code that you scan with the new phone. You will need your password, and sometimes a backup code, to get in.

Transfer Methods Compared

What to Do After the Transfer

• Test every account. Log out of one or two important services and sign back in using the new phone's code.
• Remove codes from the old phone only after testing. If you are selling or giving away the old phone, do a full factory reset.
• Check your Google 2-Step Verification settings. If your Google Account itself uses Authenticator, it keeps working because the codes moved with the app.
• Save fresh backup codes for your most important accounts and keep them on paper or in a password manager, not only in your phone's gallery.

If the Old Phone Is Lost, Stolen or Dead

Google's own advice is to secure the lost device first, then rebuild your codes:

1. Use Android's Find My Device (or Find My on iPhone) to lock or erase the lost phone remotely, if possible.
2. If your codes were synced, sign in on the new phone and they return. Then remove the lost device from your Google Account's device list.
3. If they were not synced, log in to each service with a backup code or the service's account recovery, remove the old authenticator and add the new phone.
4. If you cannot get into your Google Account, use Google's account recovery steps.

Full official steps are on Google's Google Authenticator help page.

Common Problems and Fixes

Codes are "wrong" on the new phone

Authenticator codes depend on the clock. Go to your phone's date and time settings and turn on automatic time. A phone that is even a minute off can produce codes that are rejected.

The QR code will not scan

Raise the old phone's brightness, wipe the camera lens and hold the phones 15–20 cm apart. If you are exporting many accounts, export a few at a time so each QR code is less dense.

Some accounts are missing

You probably did not select them during export. Repeat the export on the old phone and choose only the missing accounts.

How to Choose a New Phone That Keeps Your Accounts Safe

If you are moving to a new phone anyway, a few features make two-step security easier:

• Regular security updates: brands such as Samsung publish update policies for their models. Updates matter more than raw speed for banking and authenticator apps.
• Fingerprint or face unlock so you can lock the authenticator export behind biometrics.
• An official unit: check that your phone is BTRC-registered before you insert your main SIM. Our guide on checking an official or unofficial phone explains how.
• Enough storage and battery for daily use; read our smartphone buying guide for the details.

Prices are at the time of writing; the product page shows the latest price. Browse more models in our smartphone collection.

Smartphone Price in Thakurgaon

These transfer steps work on any phone. If you need a new phone first, we deliver all over Bangladesh, including Thakurgaon Sadar, Pirganj, Ranisankail, Baliadangi and Haripur, with cash on delivery.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I transfer Google Authenticator from Android to iPhone?

Yes. Install Google Authenticator on the iPhone, then on the Android phone choose Transfer codes and Export codes, and scan the QR code with the iPhone's import option. If your codes are synced to your Google Account, simply signing in on the iPhone also brings them across. Test each code before resetting the Android phone.

Will my codes move automatically if I restore a phone backup?

Do not rely on it. A normal phone backup or switch tool may not include Authenticator secrets. The safe ways are Google Account sync inside the app or the Export codes option. Always open Authenticator on the new phone and confirm the codes are there before wiping the old one.

Is it safe to sync Authenticator codes to my Google Account?

It is convenient and protects you if a phone is lost, but your codes are then only as safe as your Google Account. Use a strong unique password and keep two-step verification on for Google itself. If you prefer, you can use the app without an account and move codes only by QR export.

I lost my phone and have no backup codes. What now?

Use each service's account recovery option. Google, Facebook and most large platforms let you prove ownership through your recovery email, phone number or ID checks. It can take time, so start with your most important account. Once you are back in, set up the authenticator on your new phone and save new backup codes.

Buy from Megabuy BD

Megabuy BD sells authentic smartphones and accessories at clear prices. We deliver nationwide with cash on delivery, and Dhaka orders usually arrive within 24–48 hours.