Google Authenticator can synchronize codes through a Google Account or transfer them directly from an old device. Choose based on where your codes are currently stored and how you plan to recover if a phone is lost.
Account synchronization
When Authenticator saves codes to your Google Account, signing in with that identity on another supported device makes the synchronized entries available there.
This can simplify phone replacement, but you still need a way to access the Google Account. Keep another Google sign-in method available so the only code needed to enter the account is not locked inside the account’s own inaccessible sync.
Google states that it encrypts Authenticator codes in transit and at rest. Do not turn that statement into a claim about additional encryption properties the guide does not specify.
Manual transfer
Manual transfer uses an export QR code generated on the old device and imported on the new one. It requires the old device and its existing entries.
This is useful for locally stored codes, but is not a cloud restore when the old phone is already gone. Protect the transfer QR code like a secret and verify the new entries before erasing the old device.
Understand the effect of switching modes
Google’s guide says choosing Use Authenticator without an account after saving codes to Google removes those codes from the Google Accounts and stores them on the device. They will no longer be available on the other synchronized devices.
Do not toggle that option simply to see whether a missing entry reappears. First identify the current account and storage mode, and ensure you have a usable backup.
Deletion can propagate
Deleting a synchronized code also deletes it from the other devices where those codes are synchronized. Removing a duplicate-looking entry can therefore have a wider effect than expected.
Check which provider and account each entry belongs to before changing it. A display label alone does not establish that two entries are interchangeable.
Choose a complete recovery arrangement
Whichever method you choose, keep the phone protected, consider Authenticator’s Privacy Screen, and maintain the providers’ independent backup methods. Synchronization or transfer moves access to codes; it does not override a provider’s account-recovery rules or make a lost, unlocked old device harmless.
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.