new phone = trade lock for 15 days?

[John Fortress 2]

I recently got a new phone, attempted to put mobile authenticator on it -- can't do that, already have an authenticator. Ok, so I remove it from my old phone and add it to my new phone, great. But now I see that I can't trade for 15 days? This is pretty silly -- I've had that mobile authenticator on my account for years now and this little blip of 5 minutes causes trade bans? There must be a way to seamlessly transfer authenticator to a new phone.

[Levi]

Removing a Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator reduces your account security. To help protect your items, you will be unable to trade or use the Community Market for 15 days. In the case your account was compromised, this cooldown gives you time to recover your account and reinstate your security without losing your items.

If you had transferred the authneticator, by the correct way, you'd have some minimal holds instead.

As per: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=8625-wrah-9030#transfer

As for now, wait out the 15 days and don't repeat the same mistake - ever.

[John Fortress 2]

I'd say this is a UX failure. No where inside the app does it give any indication there is a process for transferring the mobile authenticator.

Right now if you have the authenticator on a phone, all it says is the authenticator number, the recovery number, and "remove" - indicating that those are the only options available.

On a phone without authenticator it does ask for authenticator codes logging in -- but it's not like "I don't have them", which is what I was supposed to click... I do have them, it showed on my other phone and I entered it to login.

The help page inside the application doesn't describe transfers either -- one must click through to "Steam support site" which asks generic questions about what the problem is - there is no top-level entry for "steam guard".... go into trading and the only options are "trading / gifting / items / community market" -- off hand, I can't find a way to get to the steam guard page you've linked without digging into n! number of help menu options.

My point is, it's difficult to find this information without knowing that it's there in the first place. The application needs to do a better job of indicating that transferring the authenticator is a possibility, and how to go about it.

[Dollique]

Still the same after 3 years... You have to do this 'mistake' and actually research it to understand what the 'correct' way is. Absolutely horrible UX.

[JonteVonFetma]

I think so... Dont know why... if u save ur number, thats stupid if u ask me.

[Kapsss]

Good

[Jonatas]

Makes you wonder what's even the point of the secret code they give you.

Even the transference sounds like a loophole.

"Select I have lost access to my authenticator"

You still have access to the authenticator. You can even log in providing the Steam Guard code.

Why not then for example, offer the option to transfer the mobile authenticator to that device on Steam Guard's screen?

The funny thing is that you can log in, add the mobile authenticator to the new device and at no point you're ever warned about the restrictions you'll have upon doing so.



PS: What sincerely annoyes me are the repeated answers that seem to have been made by the same person; always the same phrasing with different words.

I'll also share an anecdote: Ironically had I not had Steam Guard on my phone, I'd not have made a mistake in the community market, for the transaction would've been restricted for some days and I'd have had time to revert it.

[Amelia]

This thread was quite old before the recent post, so we're locking it to prevent confusion.