Moving multi-factor authentication to a new phone

Step-by-step troubleshooting

1. 1

   Best case: do it before you retire the old phone

   On the old phone open Authenticator, go to Settings and turn on cloud backup. On the new phone install Authenticator and choose Begin recovery with the same personal account. Then verify a sign-in to confirm it works.

2. 2

   Still have the old phone but no backup

   Sign in at aka.ms/mfasetup on a computer, approve the prompt with the old phone, then add the new phone as an additional sign-in method and set it as default. Remove the old one last.

3. 3

   Old phone gone or wiped

   You can't self-serve — log a ticket or call us. We verify your identity, reset the MFA methods, and give you a temporary window to re-register the new phone.

4. 4

   Re-register

   Once reset, go to aka.ms/mfasetup on a computer, choose Add sign-in method, pick Authenticator app, and scan the QR code with the new phone.

5. 5

   Re-add your work email

   Install Microsoft Outlook on the new phone and sign in — see the article on setting up email on mobile.

6. 6

   Check your other apps

   Anything else using the same Authenticator (banking, personal accounts, other work tenants) also needs re-registering. Do those while you're set up for it.