You can restore or recover your account credentials saved by Microsoft Authenticator.

Important: 

  • Do not sign in before restoring account credentials. If you have signed in, sign out before proceeding with account recovery. Learn how.

  • You can only back and restore on the same device type: i.e. accounts backed up using an iOS device cannot be restored on an Android device. 

  1. Sign in to your iCloud account. This is where the credentials are stored.

  2. On your mobile device, open Authenticator, and select Restore from backup.

    Important: Select either Restore from backup or Begin recovery links before signing in.

  3. Sign in to your recovery account using the personal Microsoft account you used during the backup process. Your account credentials will be recovered to the new device.

  1. On your mobile device, open Authenticator, and select Restore from backup.

    Important: Select either Restore from backup or Begin recovery links before signing in.

  2. Sign in to your recovery account using the personal Microsoft account you used during the backup process. Your account credentials will be recovered to the new device.

Can't see Restore from backup?

If you don't see Restore from backup or Begin recovery when opening Authenticator, you will need to remove or sign out of all accounts to restore your account credentials. Learn how.

Unable to restore Authenticator account credentials

If you are unable to recover or restore your Authenticator's account credentials because you cannot access your backup account, our support agents cannot help, sorry.

If you can't connect or sign in to iCloud, contact Apple Support. For help getting access to your Microsoft backup account, use the Microsoft account sign-in helper.Sign-in helper

I see “Action required” after restoring Authenticator accounts

If you see the message Action required next to an account, it may require further verification before it can be used.

  1. In the Accounts screen of Authenticator, tap the account you want to recover to open the full screen view of the account.

  2. Tap the tile for the account you're recovering and then tap the option to sign in to recover. Enter your password and then confirm your email address or phone number as additional verification.Authenticator presents a one-time password as a verification code

See also

Backup account credentials

How to sign out from Authenticator

Need more help?

For general guidance read how to troubleshoot problems with Microsoft Authenticator.

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