How to transfer Steam Guard to a new phone
You need to transfer the authenticator while your old phone and number are still at hand. Then it takes five minutes. If you first reset your phone and then remember about Steam Guard, the story will last for weeks and may end with a call to support.
Step-by-step transfer of a mobile authenticator, what to do if you lose access to the number, why you need a recovery code and why you can’t trade after the transfer.
If the old phone still works
Install the official Steam application on your new phone and log in to your account. Login confirmation will be sent to your old phone - confirm there.
In the application on a new device, open the Steam Guard section and choose to transfer the authenticator to this device. Steam will request confirmation via SMS to the linked number.
Enter the code - the authenticator moves. On an old phone it stops working immediately.
Save the new recovery code, which the application will show. The old one is invalid after the transfer.
Only after you have made sure that the codes on the new phone are accepted, reset the old device.
- Don't sell or discard your old phone until the transfer is complete.
- Make sure that you have access to the linked number - the SMS will be sent there.
- Make sure your new phone has the correct system time, otherwise the codes will not work.
If the old phone is unavailable
Here the recovery code of the form R-XXXXX, which was shown when the authenticator was first connected, comes to the rescue. You install the application on a new phone, log in and use it to restore access to Steam Guard.
If the phone number remains the same and is accessible, the restoration takes place via SMS.
If there is no old phone number, no code, no access to the number, the official recovery wizard remains at help.steampowered.com. You will need proof of ownership: purchase receipts, activated game keys, old payment information. The process is not instantaneous, but it works.
Trading restrictions after a transfer
This is expected. Steam treats the authenticator transfer as a security event and temporarily restricts exchanges and the Marketplace. The logic is the same as everywhere else: if you didn’t transfer the authenticator, the real owner has time to react.
The exact deadline is shown in the account itself. There is no way to reduce it, and manual support for protective restrictions does not remove it.
Therefore, if you have a transaction coming up, but you still have to change your phone, change it in advance, and not the day before.
What to avoid
Remove the authenticator and reconnect instead of transferring. Removal gives 15 days without trading, plus another seven days after reconnecting. Transferring is cheaper.
Store the recovery code in correspondence, cloud gallery or notes without protection. It gives access to Steam Guard, and should be treated like a password.
Share the code with anyone. Steam support never asks him.
Frequently asked questions
How to transfer Steam Guard to a new phone?
Install the Steam application on a new device, log in, open the Steam Guard section and select authenticator transfer. Confirmation via SMS to the linked number will be required.
Do I need to remove the authenticator from my old phone?
No. When transferring, it is disabled automatically on the old device, and this is noticeably more advantageous in terms of restrictions.
What to do if your old phone is lost?
Use recovery code R-XXXXX or recovery using the linked number. If there is nothing, the official recovery wizard is at help.steampowered.com.
Why don't exchanges work after the transfer?
Steam temporarily restricts trading after changing the authenticator device. The period is shown in the account and is not reduced.
Does the authenticator work without the Internet?
Yes, codes are generated offline. But the system time on the phone must be accurate.
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