Guides

How to move your login codes to a new phone, what to do when a code won't work, and how to pick an authenticator app.

• A private alternative to Authy

  Looking for an Authy alternative on iPhone? What to look for, the options, and how to move your 2FA codes out of Authy one account at a time.

• Move Google Authenticator to a new phone

  Move Google Authenticator to a new iPhone or Android phone: with Google Account sync, with Transfer accounts, and what to do if the old phone is gone.

• Move Microsoft Authenticator to a new phone

  Move Microsoft Authenticator to a new iPhone or Android: turn on backup, restore it, sign in to work accounts again, and what to do without the old phone.

• Authenticator codes not working?

  Authenticator codes rejected? It's almost always the phone's clock. How to sync the time on iPhone and Android, and the other causes when 2FA codes fail.

• What is an authenticator app?

  An authenticator app makes the six-digit codes for two-factor login. How it works offline, why it beats SMS, how to set it up and what to back up.

• Backup codes: what they are and where to find them

  Backup codes get you in when your phone or authenticator app is gone. Where Google, Instagram, Discord, Microsoft and GitHub keep them, and how to store them.

• Instagram two-factor authentication with an authenticator app

  How to turn on Instagram two-factor authentication with an authenticator app on iPhone, get your backup codes, and get back in on a new phone.