PSA : restore Microsoft authenticator to a backup phone first, don't blindly trust its backup functi

Discussion in 'Mobile Software' started by orangpelupa, Apr 27, 2022.

  1. orangpelupa

    orangpelupa Elite Bug Hunter
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    Turns out Microsoft authenticator backup function is not perfect. Despite it says it have backed up to the cloud, I cannot recover the backup, it's saying that there's no backup.

    So, PSA: restore Microsoft authenticator to a backup phone first.

    Thus making sure that the backup is indeed there, and you have a working backup authenticator.

    Don't be like me and stuck in the nightmare of lost 2fa and hunting backup codes. Although to be fair, it was probably caused by an obscure bug that I triggered simply because I'm magnetic to bugs
     
    #1 orangpelupa, Apr 27, 2022
  2. Albuquerque

    Albuquerque Red-headed step child
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    Wow, that's patently crap. Sorry :(

    A few months ago, my wife and I replaced our years-old Samsung Galaxy S8 phones with the last-year's-model S21FE -- right after the S22 came out. I had the good fortune to still have my operational old phone so I could walk through all the various 2FA-enabled accounts (including B3D!!) and connect them to the new Authenticator instance. Actually one better, I also consolidated my three different 2FA apps into just the Microsoft Authenticator. Maybe I chose wrong? hahaha...
     
    #2 Albuquerque, Apr 27, 2022
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  3. orangpelupa

    orangpelupa Elite Bug Hunter
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    AFAIK MS authenticator is the only one with cloud backup function, so it should be the best. but.. now im not sure if thats a benefit or actually a liability. As it gave me a fake sense of safety and brought me to the limbo of losing 2fa unexpectedly hahaha.
     
    #3 orangpelupa, Apr 28, 2022
  4. dobwal

    dobwal
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    I make a habit of maintaining a second device for my authenicators or any apps I find important. A cheap tab will do.
     
    #4 dobwal, May 4, 2022
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  5. BRiT

    BRiT (>• •)>⌐■-■ (⌐■-■)
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    I make sure authenticators are installed on 2 devices as well. It's very easy to do as most support export/import functionality.
     
    #5 BRiT, May 4, 2022
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  6. orangpelupa

    orangpelupa Elite Bug Hunter
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    I should have asked in this forum before I went and wiped the phone OS hahaha
     
    #6 orangpelupa, May 5, 2022
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