Setting Up Authenticator on a New Phone
As a security feature authentication apps have been designed in such a way that they are not transferrable between devices - well at least not easily (see the bottom of this page for how to do it if you still have access to the old device)
Instead of allowing a transfer the apps need to be set up again with whatever software you were using them for.
For Xero the steps to do this are below:
1. Login to Xero as normal
2. On the authentication screen click on "Use Another authentication method"
3. On the next page either use security questions or alternative email address. Security questions are a set of questions you had set when you originally set up Xero. Alternative email address will send you a code to the email address you specified when you first set up Xero Authentication. Once you have entered your details click on "Login"
4. Provided you got your security questions right you should now be logged in to Xero.
5. Now that you are logged in - in the top right hand corner of the screen click on your initials then click on "Account"
6. On this screen click on "Disable" next to Two-Step Authentication
7. You will be asked to enter your secret questions or do an alternative email login again. Do this then click on "Disable"
8. On the next screen click on "Finish"
9. Now back on your account screen click on "Enable" next to the Two-Step Authentication Box
10. The first screen displayed will be a QR Code that you need to use your authenticator app to scan. In Google Authenticator once you open the app press on the + button and then "Scan QR Code" and scan the QR Code on the screen then click continue in Xero.
11. Enter the code from your phone and click continue
12. On the next page you can select from a series of secret questions - remember that these are CASE and s p a c e sensitive. These are the questions you need if you lose your phone or cant access it to be able to get into Xero. Once you have set the questions click on "Continue"
13. The next step is Alternative email address. Note that for doing this you need to have access to that email address to verify the code that is sent to it. We strongly recommend setting this up however if you do not have access to an alternative email you can click "Not Now"
14. Once you have entered the code from the email (or clicked not now) you will be back on the Xero account screen and can see it says that Two step authentication is enabled and ready to go on your new device
Now - the above process is really if you do not have access to your old device. If you still have access to your old device and you are using "Google Authenticator" you can export 10 codes at a time using the app - once you export you need to scan a QR code displayed on your old device on to you new device to complete the move.