You need to do this before you upgrade to your new Pixel 7

Whenever you buy a new Android phone, say: Pixel 7, you want to start it as soon as possible. Any time you spend working on your old phone is time you are could spend with all the new bells and whistles you paid for. I totally understand the excitement, but slow down for a second: there’s an important step you should probably take before wiping your old phone, one that will save you a lot headaches in the future.

This warning is for those of you using Google Authenticator on your old Android phone. If you do, congratulations. The app is a great way to protect your many accounts online two-factor authentication. Thanks to authentication apps like Google Authenticator, bad actors can’t break into your Google, Instagram, or Twitter accounts even if they know your username and password. The last key lives on your phone.

But that’s the point: it lives off of you old telephone. You see, Google Authenticator won’t automatically track you from your Pixel 6 to the Pixel 7. If you erase your old phone before setting up your new one, all those codes will disappear. Redditor Kracer20 has experienced the pain of switching phones without transferring his Google Authenticator app in the past, which is why they issued useful PSA on r/GooglePixelknowing that many on the subreddit will probably get their new Pixel 7 or 7 Pro now.

How to transfer Google Authenticator codes to your new phone

Google’s instructions make it easy to transfer codes from your old Google Authenticator app to the new one. First, make sure Google Authenticator is fully updated on your old phone. Then, install it Google Authenticator on your new phone, then open the app and select “Start”. At the bottom of the page, select “Import existing accounts?”

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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 make more than one code. On your new phone, tap “Scan QR code,” then scan your codes.

Once you receive confirmation from the app that your accounts transferred, that’s it! You should have no problem accessing your various 2FA accounts on your new phone. Before you erase your old phone, of course, make sure other important data is backed up and synced, if not already on your new phone, such as messages, photos, videos, and contacts.

Consider other authenticator options

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

Another good option is Aegis Authenticator, an open source authentication application with backup support. That way, if your phone dies or you wipe it before transferring to a new phone, you’ll still be able to download your codes without worry. You might also consider Authya popular alternative available on all devices, so you can access 2FA on more than just your smartphone.