Backup Google Authenticator DB

Highly recommended to use Authy application to backup and sync the 2FA codes.

Introduction

If you use Google Authenticator, you'd like to know how to backup the DB.

Multiple reasons :

• You must format/reinstall your phone.

• Phone crash or has been lost.

• Always a good idea to have a backup of important things.

Step-by-step guide

Source : https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/63252/how-do-i-back-up-google-authenticator

Click here to expand

The following method will only work rooted Android devices.

Linux

adb pull /data/data/com.google.android.apps.authenticator2/databases/databases /AFolderOnPC

Windows

adb pull /data/data/com.google.android.apps.authenticator2/databases/databases C:\AFolderOnPC

Note that the folder on the PC has to already exist.

This will copy the authenticator database files with the main keys, from which the One Time Passwords are generated, to the PC. The file can then be restored to the same location, on Android devices, or read with an sqlite database viewer to extract the keys.

Permissions

When copying to a new device, make sure the databases folder and databases file both have 755 permissions. I tried 700, and GA kept crashing. Kind of concerning that it requires full permissions. Maybe that's NSA's requirement. – eduncan911 Jun 22 '15 at 23:40

660 works for me – deed02392 Nov 20 '17 at 22:08

SELinux

Note that if you have SELinux enabled, even with the correct permission bits the Authenticator app can crash. To fix this, run restorecon -F /data/data/com.google.android.apps.authenticator2/databases/‌​databases after you put back the database file. (source) – Dreaming in Code Jul 24 '17 at 7:13

Alternatives

You can also user alternative app as the following ones:

• Authy https://authy.com/features/multiple-devices/

• Authenticator Plus https://www.authenticatorplus.com/

Those are recommendations. Responsabilities cannot be linked to me if you use one of those and encounter any issue or security breach.