How to export Proton Authenticator and move your 2FA codes

Proton Authenticator gives you three ways to get your 2FA codes out: sync, backups and export. Each one solves a different problem, and picking the wrong one is how people end up locked out of an account. Start by deciding which job you are doing.

How do you export Proton Authenticator codes?

Proton says you can export your codes from Proton Authenticator, and it lists the app among the ones you can export from. If you are only getting a new phone, you do not need an export: turn on Sync between devices under Settings, then Security, or use iCloud on Apple devices, and sign in on the new phone.

Which option fits your job

Your job	Use this	Needs a Proton Account?	Proton's page
New phone, same app	Sync between devices	Yes for Windows, Linux and Android; no for iCloud on Apple devices	Sync 2FA codes
A copy in case you lose the phone	Backups	No	Back up 2FA codes
Moving to a different authenticator app	Export, or re-enroll each account	No	Import 2FA codes

Move Proton Authenticator to a new phone

Sync is the easiest route, because nothing leaves the app as a loose file.

With a Proton Account (any platform)

On the old phone, open Proton Authenticator and go to Settings.
In the Security section, select Sync between devices.
Log in to your Proton Account, or create one when prompted. Once you are logged in, the sync toggle switches on.
Install Proton Authenticator on the new phone. Proton offers it on iOS, Android, Windows, Mac and Linux.
Log in to the same Proton Account in the app on the new phone and turn on sync there too.
Check that every code appears, then test a few logins before you reset the old phone.

With iCloud (Apple devices only)

Proton's FAQ says you do not need a Proton Account to sync across Apple devices, because iCloud can do it. Turn on backups in Settings under Security, and your data saves to iCloud periodically. Sign in to the same Apple Account on the new iPhone and open the app.

If some codes do not appear, Proton's Keychain troubleshooting page says to go to Settings, then your Apple Account, then iCloud, then Passwords, and switch the toggle off and on again.

Moving between iPhone and Android

iCloud only covers Apple devices. To move from an iPhone to an Android phone, or the other way, use the Proton Account sync above.

Back up your codes

Backups are your insurance if a phone is lost, broken or wiped.

Open Proton Authenticator and select Settings.
In the Security section, toggle backups on.
On Apple devices, your data saves to iCloud periodically.
On Android, choose where the backups are stored and how often they are created.

Proton's security model post explains that local backups are encrypted with a password you set, using Argon2 to derive the key, and that the format uses open technology so you can decrypt your data without Proton Authenticator. Store that password somewhere other than the phone it protects.

Export your codes to another authenticator app

Switching apps is the risky one. A 2FA code is a secret shared between you and one website. If the secret does not arrive intact in the new app, that site will reject your codes and you are relying on recovery codes.

Find the export instructions

Proton keeps per-app export instructions inside the app. Its import page says to select Settings, then Import, then the authenticator you want to export from, and Proton Authenticator is on that list. Follow the steps shown there. Then check your new authenticator app's own help page for the formats it accepts.

Move one account at a time

Do not delete anything from Proton Authenticator until the new app has proved itself.

Import the export file into your new authenticator app.
Pick one account and sign out of it on one device.
Sign back in using the code from the new app.
If it works, tick that account off your list. If it fails, use Proton Authenticator to sign in and fix it.
Repeat for every account. Banking, email and work accounts come first.
Only when every account passes, remove the codes from Proton Authenticator. On mobile, swipe left on an entry to delete it. On Windows, right-click it. On Mac, hover over it and click the three dots next to the timer.

Or re-enroll 2FA on each site

This is slower and cleaner. For each account, go to its security settings, turn off the authenticator app or choose to set up a new one, and scan the fresh QR code with your new app. The site then issues a brand new secret, so the old one stops mattering. Many sites show new recovery codes at the same time. Save them.

Proton suggests the same approach in reverse: if an app cannot export, "you'll need to delete your codes and create new ones."

Watch out for your Proton Account's own 2FA

If your Proton Account is protected by a code stored in Proton Authenticator, and you need that Proton Account to sync, you have a loop. Break it before you change phones:

Find your recovery codes. Proton gives you several one-time recovery codes when you set up 2FA on your Proton Account, and any one of them lets you sign in without your device (Proton 2FA help).
Add a second 2FA method. Proton lets you link several 2FA devices to your Proton Account, including an authenticator app and a security key at the same time.
Remove the old device afterwards. Proton's advice is to disable a lost 2FA device once you are signed in, so nobody else can use it.

The same applies to any account whose recovery depends on your email. Our piece on whether two-factor authentication is safe covers why recovery codes matter.

Delete the export file after import

An unencrypted export holds the secrets for every account in it. Anyone who gets the file can generate your codes on their own device.

Export only when the new app is installed and ready to import.
Keep the file on the device. Do not email it, send it in a chat or put it in cloud storage.
Import it, then check the count of accounts matches.
Delete the file and empty the trash or recently deleted folder.
If you keep a backup, use Proton's password-encrypted backup instead of a plain export.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use Proton Authenticator without a Proton Account? Yes. Proton says you do not need one. You need a Proton Account only to sync codes across Windows, Linux or Android devices. Apple devices can sync through iCloud.

How do I transfer Proton Authenticator to a new phone? Turn on Sync between devices under Settings, then Security, and log in to your Proton Account on both phones. On Apple devices, iCloud backup also works.

Is Proton Authenticator free? Yes. Proton says the app is free for everyone, on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android.

What if an account will not accept codes from my new app? Sign in with your old app or a recovery code, then turn off the authenticator on that account and set it up again by scanning a new QR code.

Can I import codes from other apps into Proton Authenticator? Yes. Go to Settings, then Import, pick the app you are coming from and follow its steps. Proton accepts CSV files and QR codes.

Moving your email too

Your email is usually the account every other recovery link points to, so it is worth moving with care. If it lives in Proton Mail today, Secria Mail has a guided Import from Proton under Settings, then Import & export, then "Bring mail in." You drop in the EML files from Proton's free Mail Export Tool, mail is read and encrypted in your browser before upload, and original dates are kept. Import works on every plan, free included, and every plan has post-quantum encryption (ML-KEM-1024 with X25519) on by default. Our Proton Mail export guide and the Proton Mail alternative page have the details, and sign-up asks for a name, an address and a password, with no phone number and no card: create an account.

Keep the old phone in a drawer, charged, for a week after the move. It is the cheapest insurance you will ever buy.