Bitcoin Forum

I'm in the middle of a big problem. Is there a solution to my problem? I think everyone knows about Google Authenicator. I haven't stored the public key of Google Authenicator.I want to fix it by keeping my running app right.

How do I go about recovery public keys and how do I go about store it again???Any solution my problem?
thank you

Are you installing Google Authenticator again?
Have you already deleted it from the old phone?


If you still have the old version active, just enter the app and options, choose the option to export the keys.
https://www.alphr.com/transfer-google-authenticator-codes-new-phone/

If you no longer have an old application, and have not made any backups, unfortunately you will not be able to recover the keys.

If you have access to your old app ( i guess your old phone maybe) you can deactivate the 2fa codes on the platform you using it and
then you just activate it on your new phone .
Thats how i have done it in the past and it has worked very well for me when i changed my phone to a new one .
Best is to make new one.

You can't recover them easily because that would be a security flaw. All you can do is to disable 2FA, and re-enable it (now with you saving the recovery keys).

Also, probably use Aegis instead next time (if you're on Android): https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5192978

If you are using Google 2FA for CEX (centralized exchange) logins, maybe you can contact their support and have them remove 2FA for your account. But I'm pretty sure that won't be easy and it will probably take a long time. Also, if you didn't go trough KYC procedure, you will probably have to do it. After you get support to remove 2FA from your account, you will then be able to enable it again with your new phone.

Google authenticator is close source app, this is one of the reasons you suppose not to use it because you can not know if there is any vulnerability running such as spyware, using close source apps or software should be completely discouraged. There are reputed and recommended open source authenticators which will be better for you to use.

Recommended and reputed authenticators

• Aegis
• andOTP

Aegis and andOTP are open source, this is one of the reasons you should use it, the source code is available to the public, any vulnerability found will easily be known and be fixed. But also you can make use of password to protect it on your device, unlike Google authenticator that can be easily accessed without no password protection.

It depends.

If you do not have access to your old device and you do not do any backup, it will be impossible for you to recover back the authenticator, that is why proper backup is necessary.

If you still have your old device with you, that will make this faster.

• open the Google authenticator
• click at the three dots on the upper right side
• click on transfer accounts
• click on export accounts
• input the password of your device
• make sure all the site authentication you want to export are marked (they are all marked by default, but you can unmarked the ones you do not want to import to your new device)
• click on 'next'

You will see a QR code, import it to the Google authenticator on your new device, all the sites you enabled authentication that you marked while exporting it to new device will appear. You can also do the backup of this QR code in case of recovery. But, I will still advice you to use open source authenticators like Aegis and andOTP.

You can only recover the codes if your app is still running but it seems like you are talking about installing the google authenticator from app store so my guess is you already uninstalled the app now want to recover them.

If yes then its impossible but you can recover the codes on the new app by entering the codes given when you are registering on any account for example the recovery codes of 2FA to activate for the first time can be used to recover it, or you have to ask the support to disable it for you then enable new 2FA.

Is this possible? How about if just in case you only have your phone to do the kyc and the public key weren't save somewhere else? How you gonna disable the 2fa cause even disabling it needed 2fa codes right?

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I'm also quite interested with this, not yet ready for some incident where in any case I've loss my phone and what to do with the case I've mentioned.

No, you didn't understand me... I said that CEX support staff can disable user's 2FA without any code. I guess it's just a checkbox in some database. However, I have never needed that so I don't know if that's possible. I read few times that people got their 2FA disabled by the support staff.

Yes, that is very possible. Even the 2FA on electrum which is a noncustodial wallet can be disabled by TrustedCoin, but there are cases user complained it was not disabled after providing the requirements needed (I think the registered email is what needed). Also centralized platform can disable the 2FA, but are for those that have verified account, the kyc that was already provided will be used to know if truly the person is the right owner of the account, but if the person's account has not been verified before, that will be the end of the account because nothing can be used as an evidence that the person is the owner of the account.

There's no way you can recover the Google 2FA codes minus the public keys. In such a scenario, your mercy is at the hands of the sites or exchanges where you have the 2FA enabled.

Contact their supports and tell them your problem and see if they can give you any option to recover your accounts. Some may, others may not.

All the solution are said in this thread already. There is a solution to create a back up using your own PC which is to install an android emulator and install the authenticator. Android emulator works the same as the mobile phone itself. There is an android emulator that you can use like bluestacks and many more. So, in case your mobile phone is lost or you didn't create a back up of the keys then you can use your PC to get the OTP.

How can installing an Android emulator help if he's already lost his phone and didn't make a backup of his recovery keys!
His only option, as suggested above, is to contact the platform's customer support and ask them to reset the 2fa. He, most likely, will have to confirm his identity to prove he is the real owner of the account.

Authy is a good alternative to Google auth as it allows storing an encrypted copy of your backup on their servers which you can import any time you want.

I'm not a fan or user of Google authenticator ever since I lost my phone and I was unable to get back the old auth code. But if the reason why you ask this question is because you want to rectify the old google authenticator, if you don't export it before the incident I will advise you to forget about getting the old authenticator and focus on the account you need to code for.
In the meantime, I will advise you to make use of Aegis authenticator which is better than Google auth.

On what grounds does the centralized exchange can possibly disable it for you. Like of course this should do a strict verification before allowing it to be disable as this could compromise account if fall on the wrong one just in case someone disguise as you and asking for it