Google Authenticator is where many accounts send you when they ask for an app-based 2-Step Verification code. The trouble usually starts when you are setting it up for the first time, changing phones, or staring at a code the sign-in page rejects. Start with the official app, connect each account carefully, then use the transfer, sync, backup, and time checks below when something breaks.
1. Install the official Google Authenticator app
This fixes the first setup mistake: downloading the wrong app before you connect your accounts.
On Android, open Google Play Store.
Search for Google Authenticator.
Open Google Authenticator by Google LLC.
Tap Install.
On iPhone or iPad, open App Store.
Search for Google Authenticator.
Open Google Authenticator by Google.
Tap Get.
Use Android 6.0 or above on Android. Use iOS 16.0 or later on iPhone, or iPadOS 16.0 or later on iPad.
2. Link Google Authenticator to your Google Account
On your Android, iPhone, or iPad, open your Google Account 2-Step Verification settings.
Sign in when Google asks.
Tap Set up authenticator.
If your screen shows Get Started, tap it.
Follow the on-screen steps to finish linking Google Authenticator.
For a work, school, or other managed Google Account, administrator policy controls whether this setup is available.
3. Connect it to another app or website
This fixes setup for services that use authenticator-app codes instead of text messages or phone calls.
Open the site or app where you want to use 2-Step Verification.
Open its Security settings.
Choose the Authenticator app or Verification code option.
When the site shows a QR code or setup key, open Google Authenticator.
Add the account by scanning the QR code, or enter the setup key when the service provides one.
Type the code from Google Authenticator back into the site or app to complete setup.
Google Authenticator supports QR-code setup, multiple accounts, time-based code generation, and counter-based code generation.
4. Sign in with a current code
- 1.Start signing in to the account that asks for a verification code.
- 2.Open Google Authenticator.
- 3.Find the matching account, or use the Search bar to search by username.
- 4.Copy or type the current one-time verification code into the sign-in screen before it expires.
After setup, Google Authenticator generates codes without an internet connection or mobile service.
5. Sync codes or keep them on one device
To sync codes across devices, open Google Authenticator.
Sign in to your Google Account inside the app.
On a new device, install Google Authenticator.
Sign in to the same Google Account inside Google Authenticator.
Check that your synced codes appear on the new device.
To avoid syncing when you first open the app, tap Use without an account.
If codes are already saved to a Google Account, tap your profile picture at the top right of the home screen, then tap Use Authenticator without an account.
Sync requires Google Authenticator version 6.0 or above on Android, or version 4.0 or above on iOS. Without a Google Account, codes stay only on the device where you saved them.
6. Move Google Authenticator to a new phone
On the new device, install Google Authenticator.
Open Google Authenticator.
Tap Get Started.
Sign in to your Google Account.
On the old device, open Google Authenticator.
Open Menu.
Tap Transfer accounts.
Tap Export accounts.
Unlock your device.
Select the accounts you want to move.
Tap Next.
On the new device, tap Scan QR code.
If you do not see that option, open Menu, tap Transfer accounts, then tap Import accounts.
Scan the QR code created on the old device.
You need the old device with your codes, the latest app on the old device, and the new device.
7. Organize and delete saved codes
This fixes a crowded Authenticator screen after you add several accounts.
To reorder codes, touch and hold any code, then drag it to the new location.
To find a code, use the Search bar and enter text that matches the username.
To edit a code entry, swipe left on the code.
Update the username or change the associated Google Account where that code is saved.
To delete one code, swipe right on the code.
Confirm the deletion.
To delete all synced Authenticator codes from your Google Account, go to the Google Authenticator service deletion page from Google Account service controls.
Delete the Google Authenticator service.
When a code is synced to your Google Account, deleting it removes it from all devices where those codes are synced.
8. Protect the app and reduce repeat prompts
To turn on Privacy Screen, open Google Authenticator.
Open Menu.
Tap Settings.
Tap Privacy Screen.
Turn on Privacy Screen.
Complete the device verification prompt.
When signing in to your Google Account on a device you regularly use and do not share, check Don’t ask again on this computer or Don’t ask again on this device.
On Android, Privacy Screen uses device verification such as a PIN, pattern, or biometric prompt. On iPhone and iPad, it uses biometric verification such as Face ID or Touch ID.
9. Fix codes that do not work
This fixes rejected codes, missing-code sign-ins, and lost-phone recovery routes.
Enter the code before it expires.
Confirm you selected the correct app or service in Google Authenticator.
Confirm you selected the correct account in Google Authenticator.
Check that the time on your device is synced and correct for your local time zone.
For a Google Account, use a backup code when you cannot get a Google Authenticator code.
Sign in to your Google Account, click Try another way, click Enter one of your 8-digit backup codes, then enter an unused backup code.
To create or manage Google Account backup codes, go to your Google Account and click Security & sign-in.
Under How you sign in to Google, click 2-Step Verification.
Under Backup codes, click Continue, then choose Get backup codes, Refresh, Delete, Download Codes, or Print.
If your phone is lost or stolen, use remote erase for iOS or Android.
If codes are synced to your Google Account, remove the device from your Google Account.
If codes are not synced, visit each site where Google Authenticator is set up, remove the old authenticator code, and relink your new device.
Do not look for the old app-level time correction setting in Google Authenticator version 7.0 or later. Current verified Google Authenticator surfaces are the official Android, iPhone, and iPad apps, not a Wear OS setup or a browser extension branded as Google Authenticator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Google Authenticator without internet?
Yes. After setup, Google Authenticator generates one-time verification codes without an internet connection or mobile service.
Can Google Authenticator hold codes for more than one account?
Yes. Google Authenticator supports multiple accounts, and you can search, reorder, edit, and delete saved code entries.
What happens when I use Google Authenticator without a Google Account?
Your codes stay only on that device. They do not appear on other devices through Google Account sync.
Does deleting one synced code remove it everywhere?
Yes. When a code is synced to your Google Account, deleting it removes it from all devices where those codes are synced.
Can I use backup codes instead of Google Authenticator?
Yes, for Google Account sign-in. Click Try another way, choose the 8-digit backup code option, then enter an unused backup code.
