Microsoft launches passkey support for all consumer accounts

2 weeks ago

Microsoft is afloat rolling retired passkey support for each user accounts today. After enabling them in Windows 11 past year, Microsoft relationship owners tin besides now make passkeys crossed Windows, Android, and iOS. This makes it effortless to motion successful to a Microsoft relationship without having to type a password successful each time.

You tin create passkeys for your Microsoft relationship by following this link, and you tin take your face, fingerprint, PIN, aliases a information cardinal to usage a instrumentality to motion successful pinch a passkey.

How passkeys activity erstwhile you motion successful to a Microsoft account.

Image: Microsoft

What are passkeys?

Passkeys tin switch accepted passwords pinch your device’s ain authentication methods. That way, you tin motion successful to Gmail, PayPal, aliases iCloud conscionable by activating Face ID connected your iPhone, your Android phone’s fingerprint sensor, aliases pinch Windows Hello connected a PC.

Built on WebAuthn (or Web Authentication) tech, 2 different keys are generated erstwhile you create a passkey: 1 stored by nan website aliases work wherever your relationship is and a backstage cardinal stored connected nan instrumentality you usage to verify your identity.

Of course, if passkeys are stored connected your device, what happens if it gets surgery aliases lost? Since passkeys activity crossed aggregate devices, you whitethorn person a backup available. Many services that support passkeys will besides reauthenticate to your telephone number aliases email reside aliases to a hardware information key, if you person one.

Apple’s and Google’s password vaults already support passkeys, and truthful do password managers for illustration 1Password and Dashlane. 1Password has besides created an online directory listing services that let users to motion successful utilizing a passkey.

“Today, you tin usage a passkey to motion successful to Microsoft apps and websites, including Microsoft 365 and Copilot connected desktop and mobile browsers,” explains Vasu Jakkal, firm vice president of Microsoft security, compliance, and identity. “Support for signing into mobile versions of Microsoft applications utilizing your passkey will travel successful nan coming weeks.”

Passkeys correspond a large milestone successful Microsoft’s efforts to push toward a passwordless future. Microsoft first introduced Windows Hello authentication pinch Windows 10 successful 2015, allowing you to motion successful to a PC pinch your face, fingerprint, aliases via a PIN. Microsoft past started supporting FIDO information keys successful April 2018 earlier adding a fully passwordless option for Microsoft accounts successful 2021.

Passkeys person now go nan manufacture norm, adopted by Apple, Google, Microsoft, and others. Over 400 cardinal Google accounts person utilized passkeys truthful far, demonstrating that they’re a celebrated replacement to having to usage a password to motion successful everywhere.