Let's face it. Passwords are a pain in the butt and it doesn't make it any easier that you have to create passwords for all of your online accounts. Thankfully, many companies are moving away from passwords and moving to passkeys. Passkeys use biometrics technology which means you can use a PIN, facial recognition, or fingerprint, making the authentication process faster and more convenient. If you're using a Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer, you can use passkey technology with Windows Hello. Passkeys are the future of authentication for devices and website logins. Adopting this new technology can save you a lot of pain and hassle when attempting to sign into your Windows computer and your online accounts.
How do Passkeys differ from Passwords? Passwords are secret phrases you create and remember and type in to access accounts. The challenge with passwords is they can be guessed or stolen. Passkeys are digital keys stored on your device. They prove it’s you without needing to be typed and are harder to steal because they’re tied to your device and use biometrics, like a fingerprint or facial recognition. Plus, they're unique to your devices, websites, or applications, so you don't have to worry about someone using your passkey to access other services. Currently, Apple, Google, and Microsoft are leading the push for biometrics to be used instead of traditional passwords.
How Does Windows Hello Work? Using biometrics, Windows Hello provides you with a way to sign in to your Windows 10 or 11 devices and websites. Setting up Windows Hello on is a straightforward process. Follow these steps:
On your Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer, open Settings: Click on the Start button and select Settings or you can press the Windows key + I).
Once you're in settings, go to Accounts.
Select Sign-in from the menu on the left.
Under Ways to Sign in, you’ll see options for Windows Hello.
You can choose Facial recognition to set up facial recognition sign-in with your laptop's infrared camera or an external infrared camera for your desktop computer.
If your laptop has Fingerprint recognition, you can set up sign-in with a fingerprint reader.
You can also choose a PIN to sign-in
After selecting your sign-in method, click the Set up button and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process
Windows Hello isn't everywhere yet and is only compatible with websites that support the FIDO2 (Fast IDentity Online) authentication standard. These are sites that are designed to allow for passwordless sign-ins using biometrics or PINs.
Here are other places you can use Windows Hello:
Microsoft Websites: It's no surprise websites and services such as Outlook.com, Office 365, and OneDrive, support signing in with Windows Hello.
Banking and Financial Services: Some banking and financial websites have started to support biometric logins as it offer a more secure alternative to passwords.
E-commerce websites: Certain e-commerce platforms may offer compatibility for a more secure checkout process.
Password Managers: Many password managers now support access your vault with biometric authentication.
When checking to see if you can use Windows Hello on a website, look for an option to set up a biometric or PIN-based login in the website’s security or account settings. Also, understand that Microsoft Edge enhances compatibility with Windows Hello, as it is designed to work seamlessly, but I have set up computers using Chrome.
Hopefully, this will give you enough information about Windows Hello, how it works, and why you should move toward this type of authentication. If you have any questions, please reach out. I'm always available.
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