How transfer Duo mobile to new iOS device? End-user

[S_C]

Hi, I have been using Duo to store 2-factor passwords for various websites. I am not part of an “organization” and there is no administrator. All the help docs seem to assume I have this?

I backed up my old phone using iTunes, then restored to my new iPhone using the restore feature.

Duo is there, but when I open it, it is empty and does not have my 2-factor auth. listed.

Pages like this one assume I have an admin panel? But the mobile app does not provide this:
https://help.duo.com/s/article/duo-restore?language=en_US

There is no “company” to reconnect to, the new phone just says:

“Welcome to Duo mobile”

Add account (which brings up the QR code scan) and that is about it.

The old phone is still under my care, but I do not see any options there either to add a device.

Is there just no way to transfer passcodes between my two phones since I am a consumer (not attached to an organization) instead of a user part of a admin account system?

I have like 20 passcodes on this phone, so it would be a real pain to have to re-configure all of them manually on all 20 websites.

Thank you!

[mkorovesisduo · Accepted solution]

Unfortunately, we do not currently offer a restore functionality for third-party accounts (the ones you are using Duo Mobile to generate passcodes for). You will have to reconnect those accounts to Duo Mobile manually. If you have generated recovery codes for some of those services, they may expedite the process.

We are working on a fully-fledged third-party restore functionality that we hope to release soon.

[S_C]

Okay that is a highly anticipated feature then! I will go through each of them one-at-a-time and reset them up on the new phone, gladly I still have the old phone!!

[PapaRomano]

Lazy design for third party accounts. Two step verification codes (key: the codes themselves) seemingly stop working when you switch to a new phone/device. Even once I did personally scan the QR code to link duo on the new device to the service desired, I am getting an error message in my attempted log ins with the code produced via DUO. I would disable approval of DUO to work with cryptocurrency exchanges for sake of users peace of mind. The DUO app, being linked via a QR code scan, is not producing correct codes. It is such a pain to have funds on hold and not be able to log in because of incorrect codes.

[Aleksandre_Khachaturov]

@Amy Hi, please, after we transfer all keys from one device to new one, can we still use them on both devices? Or just one device is being supported?

[Amy2]

Hi @Aleksandre_Khachaturov, thank you for your patience! Sorry for the delay in responding. It depends on the account type. When you restore Duo Protected accounts to a new device, those accounts are deactivated on the old device and you can no longer authenticate with them. This is true for both Instant Restore and Duo Restore for Duo Protected accounts. Third-party accounts such as Facebook or Instagram, however, remain active on the old device (and you will still be able to authenticate to them on the old device) even after restoring them to a new one.

[Amy2]

Hi @S_C, I’m pleased to share that Duo Restore for Third-Party Accounts is now available. This allows you to back up and recover third-party accounts such as Facebook or Instagram to your Duo Mobile account when you change devices or otherwise lose access to the app. In the Duo Restore guide, you can find instructions for how to enable this feature by setting a recovery password for the account in Duo Mobile. Please be sure to store this somewhere safe! If you lose your recovery password, we can’t help you get it back. There are also guides that walk you through the process to recover your third-party accounts on Android and iOS.

@PapaRomano, that sounds frustrating. I’m sorry to hear that you are having trouble with the passcodes for your account. Did you install Duo Mobile on the new device and attempt to reconnect your account manually using the process here? Are you using an Android or iOS device? If you have a recovery code from the service provider, you may be able to regain access that way in the meantime. I’ll talk to our mobile team and see if they have any ideas about this.

Edit to add: Please check that your clock is set properly on your device. Time-based OTP codes won’t work if your phone has the wrong time, and being off by even 1 or 2 minutes can cause passcodes to fail.