duo push not arriving on new phone
Restores Duo Mobile push on a replacement phone. Covers Duo Restore, reactivation, and the admin bypass-code path. Use when the user got a new phone and Duo pushes stopped. Not for first-time Duo enrollment.
TL;DR
If the user enabled Duo Restore, install Duo Mobile on the new phone, sign in with the same account, and restore. If not, an admin issues a bypass code or sends a reactivation link via SMS; the user then re-activates Duo Mobile on the new device.
The error
(Users select "Send a Duo Push" and nothing arrives on the new phone.)Steps
- Ask if the old phone is available. If yes: on the old phone, Duo Mobile > Settings > Duo Restore > back up now. Expected: backup completes. Then restore on the new phone.
- If the old phone is gone: Duo admin panel > Users > the user > Phones > Reactivate Duo Mobile. Expected: an SMS with a reactivation link goes to the user's number.
- The user taps the link on the NEW phone and follows the activation. Expected: Duo Mobile activates and a test push arrives.
- If the phone number also changed: update the number on the user's phone record first, then reactivate. Expected: SMS reaches the new number.
- As an immediate unblock, generate a bypass code: Users > the user > Bypass Codes > Add. Expected: a single-use code the user can enter at the Duo prompt right now.
When to use
- New phone, Duo pushes stopped
- Old phone lost, broken, or wiped
When not to use
- First-time Duo enrollment (use the enrollment link flow)
- Duo Push arrives but approval fails (check time sync)
Compatibility
- Duo MFA (Duo Admin Panel); Duo Mobile on iOS/Android
Variants
Reactivation link expired
Links expire quickly. Generate a fresh one; do not keep resending the old SMS.
User has no cellular service on the new phone yet
Use a bypass code over another channel, or activate over Wi-Fi with the link.
Why it happens
Duo's device identity is bound to the phone installation, not just the account. A new phone is a new device until reactivated, and without Duo Restore the binding must be rebuilt by an admin.
Edge cases
- Users who factory-reset without backup: same as a lost phone; admin reactivation required.
- Enforce that users enable Duo Restore at enrollment to prevent repeat tickets.
Provenance
Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst3HWZQ951ngsCEsBrMAbUw
Maintainer review
No maintainer verification is recorded for this version.
This records the version a maintainer checked. It does not assert that the version is the latest upstream release.