Restore on a new phone
After you sign in on a new or reinstalled phone, it needs setting up before it can see anyone's location. Your recovery phrase is one way to do that.
- On the setup screen, tap Enter your recovery phrase.
- Enter your 12 words.
Your phone checks the phrase and then can read everything listed in What it recovers. Nothing is downloaded or re-encrypted in bulk; history loads as you look at it.
If you have another phone or tablet that's set up, you can link from it instead, without your phrase.
If you've lost your phrase
Tap I've lost my phrase to reset it. Your phone is set up without your earlier history.
If your phrase was reset on another phone
Your other phones show Restore your history on the Account tab. Tap Restore and enter the new phrase so they can keep reading new history.