Move Google Authenticator before erasing or trading in the old phone. Decide whether your codes are synchronized with a Google Account or stored only on the old device, then verify the new phone with the services you use.
Prepare an independent fallback
Keep a usable backup sign-in method for Google and other important providers. A new phone containing the Authenticator app is not enough if the necessary entries have not arrived.
Do not reset the old device, delete its entries, or turn off the services’ two-factor protection merely to begin the transfer.
If you use account synchronization
Install the official Google Authenticator app on the new phone and sign in to the same Google Account used for synchronization. Google’s guide says the saved codes synchronize to that device.
Check the account selector and actual entries. Signing in to a different Google Account can produce an empty list without implying that the original entries were deleted.
If the codes are stored locally
Manual transfer requires the old device with its codes and an updated Authenticator app, plus the new device. Google’s Android instructions use the following controls:
- On the old phone, open Transfer codes → Export codes.
- Unlock the device when asked and select the entries to transfer.
- Generate the transfer QR code or codes.
- On the new phone, open the import option under Transfer codes and scan them.
- Check the transfer confirmation and the resulting entries.
Control names can differ by platform or version. Treat transfer QR codes as authentication secrets: do not email them, post screenshots, or scan them with an unrelated online tool.
Test before retiring the old phone
Use a current code from the new phone to complete an appropriate legitimate sign-in for important services, while preserving another working session. Check the service and username for each entry rather than assuming that a populated list proves everything works.
If the old phone was lost or may be accessible to somebody else, transferring codes is not sufficient containment. Follow the affected providers’ procedures to remove or replace compromised authenticator access. Prepare the old device for disposal only after the transfer and backup checks are complete.
Official references
Reviewed against Google’s official guidance on October 27, 2026. Available options and screen labels can vary by account, device, region, and organization policy.