Jack Wallen walks you through the steps of transferring Authy from one phone to another.
Authy is a two-factor authentication app that makes it easy to work with 2FA codes for the apps and services you use.
Two-factor authentication adds a layer of security to the sites and services you use. After you add 2FA to a site, you will not only be asked for your account information (username/password), but also for a six-digit code generated by a 2FA app (such as Authy) and associated with your account . You cannot log into your account without that six-digit code.
Once you start using Authy on your mobile device, at some point you will need to transfer the account to another device.
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What you need
For this to work, the Authy app must be installed on your current mobile device. When you originally installed the app, you associated it with the phone number of that original phone. You must also have the Authy app installed on your new phone. How you install that app depends on the mobile operating system you’re using (Android or iOS).
How Authy . to be transferred
Unfortunately, due to security vulnerabilities, Authy does not allow users to take screenshots within the application, so you must follow the written instructions closely. I will describe the process in such a way that you should have no problems following it.
Open Authy on your old phone and tap the 3-dot menu button at the top right of the screen. From the drop-down menu, tap Settings. In the Settings window, you will see three tabs at the top of the screen: My Account, Accounts, Devices. Tap on Devices and you should see a mostly blank page with an ON/OFF slider that is in the default OFF position. To share Authy with a new phone, you’ll need to enable multi-device support, so tap the ON/OFF slider so it’s in the ON position.
After enabling multi-device support on Authy, open the app on the new phone, where you will be prompted for your country code and phone number. You can select your country code from the drop-down list and then type your phone number. This phone number must be the same number associated with your previous phone as that is the number associated with your Authy account.
After typing your phone number, tap Send at the bottom of the screen, then select which means of authentication you want: from Use existing device with Authy installed, Receive text message, or Receive call.
If you’ve already put your SIM card in the new phone, tap Receive text message. If you have yet to install the SIM card on the new device, tap Use existing device with authentication installed and a new device request will be pushed to the original phone. On the old phone, tap Accept and then, when prompted, type OK and tap OK.
You should then see all your 2FA entries in Authy on the new device.
That’s all to make Authy available for multiple devices. One thing to keep in mind is that this isn’t really a transfer, so all your accounts will be remembered in Authy on your old device. If you’re planning to sell, donate, or give away that old device, make sure to uninstall Authy and factory reset to make sure none of your data is accessible.
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