How to Migrate from Authy to FactorCat — Step-by-Step Guide

Authy was a solid authenticator for a long time. But the desktop app is gone, the mobile app hasn’t seen meaningful updates, and the 2022 data breach left a lot of people looking for alternatives. If you’re one of them, this guide walks you through switching to FactorCat.

For the editorial take on why people are switching, see Switch from Authy to FactorCat in 5 Minutes. For the full feature comparison, see FactorCat vs Authy.

Before you start

You’ll need:

• Your phone with Authy installed (so you can still generate codes during migration)
• FactorCat installed — download here
• A FactorCat account — sign in with Google, Apple, or email (free)
• About 2-3 minutes per account you’re migrating

Important: Don’t disable or delete accounts in Authy until you’ve verified they work in FactorCat. Migrate one at a time and test as you go.

Why re-enrollment instead of export?

Authy doesn’t offer a standard export feature — there’s no “export all my tokens” option like Google Authenticator has. The secure migration path is to re-enroll each account: disable 2FA on the service, then re-enable it using FactorCat.

This sounds tedious, but it’s actually:

• More secure — you’re generating fresh secrets, not transferring old ones
• About 30 seconds per account once you get the rhythm
• A good audit opportunity — you’ll see which accounts still have 2FA and which you forgot about

Step 1 — Install FactorCat

1. Download FactorCat on your phone (iOS or Android)
2. Sign in with Google, Apple, or email
3. Optionally install the browser extension for Chrome or Firefox — you’ll want this for auto-fill after migration

Step 2 — Re-enroll each account

For each account you want to migrate:

1. Log in to the service (e.g., GitHub, Google, Discord) using your current Authy code
2. Go to the service’s Security settings > Two-factor authentication
3. Disable 2FA — the service will ask for your current code (use Authy) to confirm
4. Re-enable 2FA — the service generates a new QR code
5. Scan the new QR code with FactorCat instead of Authy
6. Choose which vault to store it in — Cloud Vault or Locked Vault
7. The service asks for a verification code — enter the code from FactorCat to confirm
8. Save any backup/recovery codes the service provides

Tips for common services

• Google: Security > 2-Step Verification > Authenticator app > Change app
• GitHub: Settings > Password and authentication > Two-factor methods > Authenticator app > Edit
• Discord: User Settings > My Account > Enable Two-Factor Auth (disable first, then re-enable)
• AWS: IAM Console > Security credentials > Multi-factor authentication > Manage MFA device

For specific 2FA setup instructions, see our setup guides.

Step 3 — Verify the migration

After migrating each account:

1. Sign out of the service
2. Sign back in — when prompted for 2FA, use FactorCat
3. If the code works, that account is successfully migrated

Do this for every account before removing anything from Authy.

Step 4 — Remove from Authy

Once you’ve verified all your accounts work in FactorCat:

1. Open Authy
2. Remove the migrated accounts (long-press > remove, or use account settings)
3. Optionally uninstall Authy

There’s no rush — keeping Authy installed for a week as a safety net is fine. Just don’t use it for new accounts going forward.

How long does this take?

Number of accounts	Estimated time
5 accounts	~10 minutes
10 accounts	~20 minutes
20 accounts	~40 minutes

The first few accounts take longer as you learn the rhythm. After that, it’s about 30 seconds per account: disable, re-enable, scan, verify.

What you get after switching

Your 2FA workflow changes from:

1. Open Authy → find account → copy code → switch to browser → paste before it expires

To:

1. Browser detects MFA field → phone buzzes → tap Approve → code fills automatically

That’s the difference. No more copying codes. No more racing the 30-second timer. For the full list of what FactorCat does that Authy doesn’t, see FactorCat vs Authy.

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Ready to switch? Download FactorCat — it’s free for up to 50 factors.