Google Authenticator Iphone
Lucille Minasian
I am wondering if it is possible to backup my accounts on my Microsoft Authenticator app. I was reading some other post people have and they said the iCloud backups don't back up your codes on my phone. Can someone confirm this is true or not? If it is, is there a way I can backup my codes?
You shouldn't be locked out. When logging in to a Microsoft account where the code is required, the screen where the code is entered offers the option: "If you can't use an app right now, get a code a different way."
I would suggest you get something like iCloud Keychain setup, or buy and use mSecure or 1Password or something similar and keep your MS authenticator info there in an encrypted note or whatever. Regardless of backup, it sounds to me like the MS Authenticator app will not restore account's or codes.
Apps and app developers determine what info their app includes in an iTunes or iCloud backup. If MS has coded their app to exclude that critical info on an iOS backup, then you need to secure it yourself.
It sounds to me like you cannot back it up. MS has designed it to not do that. As they say in their FAQ, when restoring a device, you need to delete the accounts and set them up from scratch again. So seems to me all you can do is use another encrypted password/notes app like mSecure (that does backup and restore contents from backup) to store whatever information you'll need to set those accounts up anew in MS authenticator.
It is still not clear to me why you would want or need to back it up. I use Microsoft Authenticator and see absolutely no need to back it up. The only data associated with the app is your Microsoft account information and that wouldn't be restored from a backup anyway -- see the quote below from the link Michael previously provided:
If your phone is lost or dies as you suggested in your original post, you simply download the authenticator app to your new phone, do a few setup steps and use the new app. There isn't any data stored in it other than the original authentication with Microsoft (which as stated in the quote above from Microsoft wouldn't be restored anyway) and that can easily be repeated. As I stated earlier however, you do want to insure that you have an alternate email or text number set up on your account with Microsoft.
I don't just use Microsoft Authenticator for my Microsoft account I use it for a majority of accounts for 2-Step codes. If my phone dies or gets stolen I will no longer have access to those codes and will be locked out of some of my accounts. Some sites use SMS to verify 2-Step in which case I will be ok, but sites that require the authenticator app only and no backup codes I will lose access to.
Also to set up the new app on a new phone I will need to log in my account and scan the QR codes to get the 2-Step codes. But if the phone with the app is damaged/stolen I won't be able to get the codes to log in the site.
It's pretty clear that Microsoft designed it so that there is no way to back up the authenticator data. Doing so would be a potential security vulnerability. I don't use MS authenticator, but I do use Google authenticator. When I moved it to a new device I had to re-initialize it.
I have an older ipad with Ios 12.5.7. We use LastPass as a PW manager. I downloaded it, but it requires use of an authenticator in addition to a master PW. I have been unable to install LastPass authenicator because it requires Ios 15 or more, MS authenticor Ios 14 or more, and even Google autheticator requires at least Ios 13. Is there ANY authenticator that works in the Ios 12 range??
The first generation iPad Air, iPad mini2 and mini3 can only be updated to iOS 12.5.7. With this version of iOS installed, you will have one of these three models. As such, you may have difficulties finding Apps that remain compatible with your iPad.
Some App developers have dropped support for iOS versions preceding iOS 13.x for technical reasons (often because APIs or software libraries upon which they rely have been updated in the new version of iPadOS, making their App incompatible with earlier versions).
I have LastPass. It has worked well for me, but their latest significant hack is an issue. I'm getting my ducks in a now to go to Dashlane or the like. 'Had hoped I could find a PW manager and authenticator that would work on myiPad as well as my other devices, but based your and the other responses, I cannot. I will have to take it offline for use with games and the like.
Now I added some accounts on the iPhone side and removed them from Android to prevent confusion. But I accidentally moved one of my personal accounts to my work iPhone. I need to delete it from iPhone and relocate it back to Android instance.
Re-set your phone. On occasion, the program freezes... and that "blue" bar at the top labeled "Authenticator" will not appear. When this happened to me, it was a gray bar at the top and bottom. When I turned off my phone and restarted it - and then went into Google Authenticator, the blue-authenticator bar (with the edit pencil icon) had returned! I was then able to remove the number/counters I wanted to remove.
Hello @arpneves,
Thanks for posting your first question on the Community!
I understand you're looking for information on setting up a security key with an authenticator app. If you've never set up a security key before, I recommend referring to this Help Center article: How do I turn on or off 2-step verification for PayPal account login? If you previously set up 2-Step Verification but are now having difficulty logging in because of a new device, please reach out to Customer Support by clicking 'Contact' at the bottom of any PayPal webpage. You'll then want to follow the options for 'Login Issues."
Have a wonderful weekend!
- Meghan
This app is nothing more than a virus. It has now stopped me from working and I cannot access my accounts. Just waiting for MS to ask for $$ to fix. I'm not an IT person and just want to get on with my work.
Hi! I had the same nightmare and was able to call the service center, any MS service number will do. The key is to ask for "AZURE" help when prompted to specify an MS product. This took me directly to a person who was able to assist
I have the same problem. The thing is my security info was outdated and I had to update my info. For some reason it takes up to a month to update my security info and now I can't get into my MS Office account. Now I'm back to square one.
Robert Lovasz and Steven Fry, log into office.microsoft.com, then select your avatar at top right of window, then select "view account", then select "security info" from menu on left side of window. From there you can manage your authentication methods, including deleting and recreating a broken method. It might also be helpful to review the "devices" menu option from menu on left side of window.
I'm having the same problem. I had to go into my wife's account just to add my voice to this thread and say that none of the solutions work. As long as we can't get authenticator to work, we can't sign in to anything!
The microsoft authenticator app is the biggest joke and piece of junk software I have ever used. I had the same issue as above and tried every method possible to get my outlook/office 365 email reconfigured on my new phone. App kept going in circles repeatedly. The authentication app kept telling me to open the authentication app and enter the code even though I was ALREADY IN THE AUTHENTICATION APP! So stupid. Eventually, after multiple errors and cancelling out, the outlook app magically appeared to have been set up. What an awful experience.
I'm having the same problem. Been using email on my phone for several months (since switching from Rackspace directly to Microsoft). Suddently it wants me to authenticate and go through some security verification process. I'm going in loops. There are multiple ways to "authenticate," I get multiple codes (a six digit code, a two digit code, and then another longer one), but in an endless loop. This is the most frustrating thing. I didn't even do anything different to cause the authentication thing to kick-in. What alternatives are reasonable alternatives to Microsoft?
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I dropped my phone yesterday and like that wasn't enough, I wasn't able to go in to my work mail, Smartschool and Teams on my back up phone. I'm happy my English and IT-talent is good enough to understand your explanation. It WORKS!
You can recover your account credentials from your cloud account, but you must first make sure that the account you're recovering doesn't exist in the Microsoft Authenticator app. For example, if you're recovering your personal Microsoft account, you must make sure you don't have a personal Microsoft account already set up in the authenticator app. This check is important so we can be sure we're not overwriting or erasing an existing account by mistake.
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It appears the current Netiq Advanced Auth app for iOS has a compatibility issue with iOS 17.3, as any user who buys a new iphone with this OS and tries to enroll smartphone authenticator will be unable to complete enrollment.
I got the same problem and I try t figure out how tp wipe iphone 8. Acrobatic on high level does not help. iTunes says "turn onf find my iPhone", but it was deactivated or activated. Any way- the problem has been resolved when I determined that iPhone does not have proper time&date. So, please check time&date on your iPhones :)all the best for all
If that does not work, try signing out of iTunes. Do this by going to settings and selecting your profile at the top. Then, select media and purchases which will prompt the option to sign out. Restart your device and after making sure you have a stable internet connection, sign back into iTunes.
Two-factor authentication (2FA) has entered the news due to a change at the embattled Twitter/X. Under a February policy change, the service is forcing free users unwilling to pay the Twitter Blue subscription away from the SMS-based 2FA system, in favor of using authenticator apps.
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