How to restore account in authenticator- no backup button is present

An Authenticator backup created on Android cannot be restored on an iPhone, so the missing Restore from backup option is expected; keep the Android phone available and manually register each account on the iPhone instead.^1^

Work or school accounts

For each organizational account:

1. On a computer, sign in to the Security info page using the work or school account:
   https://mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info
2. Complete verification using the old Android phone or another registered method.
3. Select Add sign-in method.
4. Choose Microsoft Authenticator and select Add.
5. Continue until the QR code appears.
6. On the iPhone, open Authenticator and select: + → Work or school account → Scan QR code.
7. Scan the code and complete the test approval.^2^
8. Test an actual sign-in from the iPhone before removing the old Android registration or wiping the old phone.

If the Security info page requires an Authenticator approval, use Sign in another way and select another method if one is available. If no alternative works, contact the organization’s IT help desk and ask it to reset or require re-registration of your MFA methods.

Personal Microsoft accounts

1. Sign in to the Microsoft account’s Security page:
   https://account.microsoft.com/security
2. Select Manage how I sign in.
3. Select Add a new way to sign in or verify → Use an app.
4. Display the QR code.
5. In Authenticator on the iPhone, select + → Personal account → Scan a QR Code.^2^

Passwordless credentials are device-specific and are not transferred through Authenticator backup, so they must also be configured again on the iPhone.^3^

Third-party accounts

For Google, Amazon, Facebook, and other services:

1. Sign in to that service using the old Android-generated code, a recovery code, or another recovery method.
2. Open the service’s two-step verification settings.
3. Remove or replace the existing authenticator configuration.
4. Display its new QR code.
5. On the iPhone, select + → Other account and scan it.

Do not remove an existing entry from the Android phone until its replacement has been tested. If access to a service is already blocked, its own account-recovery process is required.

Why reinstalling did not help

Microsoft supports backup and restore only between the same device type: Android to Android or iOS to iOS. Android-to-iPhone and iPhone-to-Android restoration are not supported.^3^ The Android backup can therefore remain valid while still being unavailable to Authenticator on the iPhone.

References

1. Transfer Microsoft Authenticator account entries to a new phone
2. How to add your accounts to Microsoft Authenticator
3. Restore one-time password codes in Microsoft Authenticator | Microsoft Support