MFA & Verification Issues

How to Restore Missing Microsoft Authenticator Accounts After Reinstall

Emma Brown Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to recover third-party accounts (such as Robinhood and Coinbase) that disappeared from Microsoft Authenticator after changing phones and reinstalling the app.

Restore Missing Microsoft Authenticator Accounts After Reinstallation

Product: Microsoft Authenticator
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Reinstalling the Microsoft Authenticator app or migrating to a new phone.
Observed behavior: Previously added accounts are missing from the app, preventing the user from generating verification codes to sign in to those services.

Before you start

Ensure you have the login credentials for the personal Microsoft account or iCloud account used on your previous device, as this is required to access your Authenticator cloud backup.

Solution 1Recommended

Restore Accounts from an Existing Cloud Backup

Use this method to recover all connected accounts if you previously enabled cloud backup in the Authenticator app on your old device.

Microsoft Authenticator allows you to restore your account credentials from a cloud backup. You must perform this action on the very first screen when you open the app. If you have already bypassed the initial setup screen, you will need to reinstall the app first.

Reinstall the App

If you have already opened Microsoft Authenticator and passed the welcome screen, delete the app from your device and download it again from your app store.

Select Restore

Open the newly installed Microsoft Authenticator app. On the very first screen, do not add an account. Instead, tap the 'Begin recovery' or 'Restore from backup' option located at the bottom of the screen.

Sign In to Your Account

Enter the credentials for the Microsoft account you used to create the backup on your previous phone. Once authenticated, your missing accounts will populate in the app.

Restore Accounts from an Existing Cloud Backup

Requires Previous Setup: This restoration process will only work if you actively turned on the cloud backup feature on your old phone before getting rid of it or reinstalling the app.

Solution 2

Recover Accounts Without a Cloud Backup

If no cloud backup exists, you cannot restore the accounts via Authenticator. You must reset the two-step verification directly with each missing service.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why didn't my accounts automatically transfer to my new phone?

For security reasons, Microsoft Authenticator does not automatically sync third-party accounts across devices. They are only transferred if you explicitly enabled the cloud backup feature on your original device before switching.

Can I recover Authenticator accounts if I don't have my old phone?

Yes, you can recover them on a new phone using the 'Restore' option on the initial setup screen, provided you had cloud backup enabled. Without a backup, you must use backup codes or contact the support team of each specific service to reset your 2FA.

How do I turn on cloud backup in Microsoft Authenticator?

To prevent future data loss, open the Authenticator app, tap the three-dot menu (or settings gear icon), select 'Settings', and toggle on 'Cloud backup' (for Android) or 'iCloud backup' (for iOS).

Login & Account Issues