
When configuring the authenticator app in your application you'll usually be shown a QR code to scan.Ignore any mentions of Google Authenticator or other mobile applications - you'll be using Duo Mobile instead. Follow the instructions to turn on two-factor authentication (sometimes called two-step verification) for your account using an authenticator app.Install Duo Mobile for iPhone/iOS or Android.If you become locked out of those services and don't have a backup of your accounts in Duo Mobile, you'll need to contact the support team for that application or perform the account recovery process for each of those third-party applications.

There is no need to sign-up for an organizational account on duo.com if you only want to protect your personal accounts.ĭuo does not have access to your third-party accounts or account credentials and cannot assist in account recovery beyond Duo Mobile backup and restore.īe sure to save any recovery information given to you by the application when you set up two-factor authentication, and enable account backup and restore in Duo Mobile if you set it up to generate passcodes for logging into these applications. Use Duo Mobile to generate these passcodes, and keep all your accounts in one app. Until the update arrives, it has become easier to transfer Authenticator from Android to Android but the same can’t be said when it comes to iOS to iOS or between Android and iOS in either direction.Some online services and web applications, like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat, let you protect your account with a mobile-generated passcode. There is no news from Google’s end on when they will bring it to their Android counterpart. On the flip side, the iOS app for iPhone and iPad is still missing the transfer feature. This is a welcome sign because other apps like Microsoft Authenticator and Authy both support this feature.

Google recently updated its Android version of the Authenticator app to add a way to import and export existing scanned 2FA codes to a new phone. Until recently that is, there was no way to move or transfer Google Authenticator codes to a new phone. In fact, they kept the UI way too simple and forgot to add a way to move Google Authenticator data, the scanned codes, to another phone safely. The app is available on both Android and iOS smartphones and is completely free with no ads or in-app purchases. Google offers a free two-factor authentication app called Authenticator.
