Lost all Authenticator codes with new phone

Matt Galvin 0 Reputation points
2026-10-31T22:35:23.4833333+00:00

I got a new iPhone and everything on MS Authenticator was lost. Even when I signed back in using the account. Nothing is saved? Nothing on iCloud like I set up?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For business | Other
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  1. AI answer

    2026-10-31T22:35:41.1433333+00:00

    On iPhone, signing in to Microsoft Authenticator alone does not restore everything.

    What is expected after restore:

    • One-time password codes for eligible Microsoft personal accounts and third-party accounts can be restored from backup.
    • Work or school account credentials are not backed up. Only the account name is restored, and each account must be signed in and registered again.
    • Passwordless credentials are not backed up. Only the account name is restored, and sign-in is required again.

    For iPhone backup and restore to work, the old phone must have had all of these enabled:

    1. iCloud Drive
    2. iCloud Keychain
    3. iCloud Backup
    4. In Apple Account > iCloud > Saved to iCloud, Authenticator must be turned on
    5. Authenticator should be version 6.8.33 or later
    6. The app should have been opened at least once before switching phones

    If the backup is not appearing on the new iPhone, use this troubleshooting path:

    1. On the old iPhone, verify all iCloud settings above, especially Saved to iCloud > Authenticator.
    2. On the new iPhone, uninstall and reinstall Microsoft Authenticator.
    3. Open Authenticator again and check whether the backup appears.
    4. If accounts show Sign in to restore your account, open each one and complete sign-in and verification.

    Important limits:

    • Backup and restore only works on the same device type. iPhone backups cannot be restored to Android, and Android backups cannot be restored to iPhone.
    • If iCloud access is unavailable, recovery requires Apple account access.
    • If no valid backup exists, deleted or missing one-time password codes usually must be added again account by account.

    If this is a work or school account scenario, the missing entries after restore can be normal. Open each restored account and sign in again. If self-service re-registration is blocked, contact the organization’s admin or help desk for the approved recovery process.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Doris V 2,920 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-11-02T04:19:20.9+00:00

    Dear Matt Galvin,

    If your Microsoft Authenticator accounts and codes did not restore on your new iPhone and your account is a business or education account, your company IT team or Helpdesk may be able to reset your Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) settings. This will allow you to reconfigure MFA from scratch on your new device. As a forum user, I do not have administrative access to change these settings. Only your IT team has the ability to adjust or reset your MFA configuration. You can also refer to this Microsoft support article for more information: Manage authentication methods - Microsoft Entra ID | Microsoft Learn  

    In case you are the only Global Administrator and you are completely locked out from the tenant. You might need to contact Microsoft Support team via phone service number: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support. The agent will be able to create a ticket for you under the affected tenant and then transfer this ticket to Data Protection team who could help you to regain access.   

    To help you navigate the automated phone system (IVR), here's an example of what the conversation might look like:

    IVR: What kind of problem are you worried about?

    You: Admin account locked

    IVR: What kind of product do you use?

    You: Office 365 for business

    IVR: Does it count for education or business?

    You: For Business

    IVR: Are you an admin?

    You: Yes

    IVR: Do you have another administrator in your organization?

    You: No

    IVR: Need a service request?

    You: Yes

    This should help you connect with a live support agent who can help you directly.

    If you can't create a support ticket during the call, I recommend creating a temporary tenant account and submitting the support request from there. To create a new tenant, follow these steps:

    1. Visit Office 365 E3 - Enterprise Collaboration and Productivity | Microsoft    
    2. Select any plan and click Try for free.    
    3. Complete the setup to create a new tenant.    
    4. Ticket support: In the Microsoft 365 admin center>support>help & support. You can create a support ticket: https://admin.microsoft.com/#/support/requests     

    Important: Please remember to cancel the trial subscription once your issue is resolved to avoid any charges.

    I understand that this issue may take some time to resolve and could impact your workflow. However, the following solutions have been effective in resolving Microsoft Authenticator issues.

    If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out.

    Note: Please follow the steps in the forum documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 

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