07/21/2026
Don’t let your new phone lock you out of your old accounts
2-factor authentication is a system designed to provide better security for online accounts and is used by most online services these days. Examples include Google accounts, Microsoft accounts, Apple IDs, and others. Given that, for most people, these accounts include their primary email address and are of utmost importance to their online presence, adding such security is important. Yet it can be a double-edged sword - most online service providers have their own 2-factor authentication app such as Microsoft Authenticator or Apple’s built in 2-factor authentication which is specific to their devices. When moving to a new phone you need to be sure to unenroll from 2-factor authentication on said online accounts because failing to do so can result in you being locked out of your accounts permanently. Having backup authentication methods is especially important. For most services, there are usually options for having additional emails or phone numbers linked to an account. Having these prepared ahead of time could safeguard you from losing access to an account if the codes contained in a 2-factor authentication app like Microsoft Authenticator are lost. Holding onto your old phone for the transfer process is thus of utmost importance.
As an example, here is the step-by-step process for transferring Microsoft Authenticator from an old phone to a new phone:
On the new phone, install the Microsoft Authenticator app.
Tap on the plus icon and choose the relevant option. You’ll be prompted to sign into your Microsoft account on the new phone. With the old phone, you will either be prompted to put in a short number code or, sometimes, on the new phone you may be prompted to put in a six-digit code. After that, it should automatically set up the account, and you should be able to use the Microsoft Authenticator on the new phone for future sign-ins.
This process is relatively simple and as long as you hold onto your old phone, the process will go smoothly.
Without the old phone, the process can require any or all of the following hurdles: logging onto your account with a known device, using a recovery method to remove the 2-factor authentication, contacting Microsoft or any other relevant company and waiting up to 30 days for action to be taken, or outright losing access to any accounts related to the affected accounts. The last of these can take a lot of effort and technical know-how to solve, and some companies may simply never give you access to these accounts again.
