You must do this before moving to your new Pixel 7

When you buy a new Android phone say: the Pixel7, you want to get it working as soon as possible. Any time you spend working on your old phone is time for you could with all the new bells and whistles you paid for. I totally understand the fuss, but slow down for a moment: there’s one important step you probably need to take before wiping your old phone, one that will save you one a lot of of headaches in the future.

This warning is for those of you who use Google Authenticator on your old Android phone. If yes, good for you. The app is a great way to protect your many accounts across the web Two-Factor Authentication. Thanks to authentication apps like Google Authenticator, attackers can’t break into your Google, Instagram, or Twitter accounts even if they know your username and password. The final key is on your phone.

But that’s the point: it lives on you old Phone. You see, Google Authenticator doesn’t automatically follow you from your Pixel 6 to your Pixel 7. If you erase your old phone before setting up the new one, all those codes will disappear. Redditor Kracer20 has had the pain of switching phones without porting his Google Authenticator app in the past, which is why they have one helpful PSA on r/GooglePixelknowing that many on the subreddit would likely be getting their new Pixel 7 or 7 Pro by now.

How to transfer Google Authenticator codes to your new phone

Google’s guide makes it easy to transfer codes from your old Google Authenticator app to your new one. First, make sure Google Authenticator is fully up to date on your old phone. Install next Google authenticator on your new phone, then open the app and select Get Started. Select “Important existing accounts?” at the bottom of the page.

Now switch to your old phone, open Google Authenticator, then tap More > Transfer accounts > Export accounts. Choose which accounts you want to move to your new phone, then choose Next. This will create a QR code. If you’re moving more than one account, your phone may create more than one code. On your new phone, tap Scan QR Code, then scan your codes.

Once you get confirmation from the app that your accounts have been transferred, that’s it! You should have no problem accessing your various 2FA accounts on your new phone. Of course, before wiping your old phone, make sure to back up and sync other important data if it isn’t already on your new phone, e.g. B. messages, photos, videos and contacts.

Consider other authenticator options

As many in this Reddit thread point out, other authentication apps avoid this problem entirely. If you were to set up your 2FA codes with a password manager like Bitwarden, you could simply log into your account on your new phone and retrieve your codes from there. There’s a security risk, of course: Google Authenticator only lives on your current phone, while someone with access to your Bitwarden account could also gain access to your 2FA codes (sometimes called OTPs or One-time passwords in this situation). However, you might find that the convenience outweighs the risk. Just remember to create your Bitwarden password strong and unique.

Another good option is Aegis Authenticator, an open source authentication app with support for backups. That way, if your phone kicks the bucket or you erase it before transferring to a new phone, you can still retrieve your codes without worry. Could also be considered autha popular alternative that’s available across all devices, allowing you to access 2FA on more than just your smartphone.