Docs / The authenticator app / When something goes wrong

When something goes wrong

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TL;DR

Every error is a plain screen that never blames you — often with a copyable trace ID for support. The app also locks itself, and refuses to run on a device it can’t trust.

Who this is for: anyone who hit an error, got locked out, sees a security warning, or is moving to a new phone or replacing a lost one.

This chapter is the common-issues desk. Every failure has a plain screen — with a copyable trace ID when support needs one — and none of them blame you. The app also locks itself, and refuses to run on a device it cannot trust. When the app can't answer it, Get help routes you on.

Changing Face ID or Touch ID ends your approvals. Adding or changing a face, an alternate appearance or a fingerprint in iOS Settings makes this app’s signing keys unusable; the app finds out at the next approval. Each account then needs setting up again: ask each service for a new setup code.

New phone, or lost phone. Moving to a new phone: remove each account on the old phone first, then ask each service for a new setup code. Lost the old phone: ask each service to remove it, and for a new setup code. See Adding an account.