Windows · Accounts & Family
Sign In Without a Password Using Your Face, Fingerprint, or PIN
Passkeys let you sign into supported websites and apps using Windows Hello (your face, fingerprint, or PIN) instead of typing a password — they're stored securely on this device and can't be phished or reused if a website is breached.
How to open Passkeys
- On a supported website, choose 'Sign in with a passkey' or 'Create a passkey' during account setup.
- Windows prompts you to verify with your face, fingerprint, or PIN.
- The passkey is saved to this device (and your Microsoft account, if enabled) automatically.
- Next time you sign in, choose the passkey option and verify with Windows Hello — no password needed.
What you should know
- Passkeys are created per website or app, the same way passwords are, but stored as encrypted device credentials instead of text.
- Signing in with a passkey uses the same Windows Hello face, fingerprint, or PIN prompt as unlocking your PC.
- Passkeys saved to your Microsoft account can sync to your other Windows devices.
- You can view and remove saved passkeys from Settings > Accounts > Passkeys at any time.
Why it matters
Passwords remain one of the most common ways accounts get compromised — through reuse, phishing, or data breaches at the website itself. Passkeys remove that risk entirely for the sites that support them, without making sign-in any slower.
Best practices
- Enable passkeys first on your most important accounts — email and financial accounts — since those carry the most risk if compromised.
- Keep Windows Hello (face, fingerprint, or PIN) set up and working, since it's required to actually use a passkey.
- Don't disable password sign-in entirely until you've confirmed passkey sign-in works reliably on each site you use it for.
Common problems and fixes
- A website's passkey sign-in prompt doesn't appear.
- Confirm the website actually supports passkeys and that you're using an up-to-date browser — passkey support varies by site and browser version.
- Passkey created on one PC doesn't show up on another device.
- Passkey syncing requires the same Microsoft account to be signed in on both devices with syncing enabled — check Settings > Accounts > Passkeys on each device.
Tips and tricks
- Check Settings > Accounts > Passkeys periodically and remove ones for accounts you've closed or no longer use.
Frequently asked questions
Do passkeys replace my Windows sign-in PIN?
No — they're separate. Your Windows Hello PIN/face/fingerprint unlocks this PC; passkeys use that same verification to sign into individual websites and apps.
What happens if I lose my PC — can someone use my passkeys?
Passkeys still require your Windows Hello verification (face, fingerprint, or PIN) to use, so having the physical device alone isn't enough to sign in with them.
Related settings
- Sign-in OptionsSign-in Options controls every way you can sign into this PC — Windows Hello face and fingerprint recognition, PIN, security key, or password — and lets you require sign-in after sleep for extra security.
- Windows SecurityWindows Security is the built-in protection center for virus & threat protection, firewall & network protection, and device health. It runs Microsoft Defender Antivirus and lets you review recent scans and threats.
More Accounts & Family guides for Windows
- Family SafetyMicrosoft Family Safety lets you create a family group to manage screen time limits, content filters, spending, and location sharing for children's Windows, Xbox, and mobile devices from one place.
- Email & AccountsEmail & Accounts lists every account — Microsoft, work/school, or other — that your installed apps (Mail, Calendar, OneDrive, and third-party apps) are allowed to use to sync data. You can add new accounts here or remove ones apps no longer need.
- Other UsersOther Users lets you add separate sign-in accounts for other people who share this PC — family members, guests, or coworkers — each getting their own desktop, files, and settings, isolated from yours.
- Access Work or SchoolAccess Work or School lets you connect this PC to an organization's Azure AD / Microsoft Entra environment so you can access company or school email, apps, and resources, and so IT can apply required security policies.
- Your InfoYour Info shows the account currently signed into this PC — your name, profile picture, and whether it's a local or Microsoft account — with quick links to manage your Microsoft account online.
- Linked DevicesLinked Devices shows phones and other PCs connected to your Microsoft account, enabling features like continuing a browser tab from your phone on this PC, or seeing your phone's photos and notifications through the Link to Windows / Phone Link app.