Tap the hamburger menu icon. Choose Transfer accounts. Tap Import accounts. Tap Scan QR code. Point the camera at the code on the old phone. Get 2FA codes if you can’t access Google Authenticator ...

You'll get a QR code or setup key. Next, open the Google Authenticator app and tap the plus sign. Record the 2FA code/key. Whenever you're asked for the 2FA code, open Google Authenticator to find it.

April 25, 2023 at 6:55 a.m. PT Image: ZDNET Running Google Authenticator on your mobile device is an effective way to protect your online accounts and logins with two-factor authenticator codes.

Google isn’t the only firm offering 2FA sign-in codes to provide backups. Since 2019, Microsoft has allowed people to use a “backup and restore” tool for its Microsoft Authenticator app.

Google Authenticator first launched in 2010, and the app—which stores and generates two-factor authentication (2FA) codes—lacked backups and multi-device support for years.

When you see a QR code on the laptop screen, open the Google Authenticator app on your phone. Tap the plus sign in the bottom-right corner of the app and then Scan a QR code.