Windows · Accounts & Family
Choose How You Unlock and Sign Into Windows
Sign-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.
How to open Sign-in Options
- Open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
- Choose a sign-in method — Windows Hello Face, Fingerprint, PIN, Security key, or Password.
- Follow the setup prompts, which typically involve verifying your current password once.
- Optionally set 'For improved security, only allow Windows Hello sign-in' to require biometric or PIN sign-in instead of a password.
What you should know
- Set up or change your PIN, which is tied to this specific device and never sent over the internet.
- Enable Windows Hello face or fingerprint recognition if your PC has the required camera or sensor.
- Choose whether Windows requires sign-in immediately after sleep, or after a delay.
- Set up a physical security key as an additional or alternative sign-in method.
Why it matters
How you sign in is the first line of defense for everything on this PC — a weak or reused password undermines every other security setting. Windows Hello and PIN sign-in are both faster and meaningfully harder to compromise remotely than a typed password.
Best practices
- Set up Windows Hello face or fingerprint recognition if your hardware supports it — it's faster than a PIN and can't be shoulder-surfed.
- Require sign-in immediately after sleep on laptops that leave the house, not just at home.
- Keep a PIN set up even if you mainly use Windows Hello, as a reliable fallback if the camera or fingerprint sensor ever fails.
Common problems and fixes
- Windows Hello face recognition stops working after a Windows update.
- Go to Sign-in options, remove the existing Windows Hello Face setup, and set it up again — this re-registers it with the updated drivers.
- Forgot your PIN.
- Select 'I forgot my PIN' on the sign-in screen, which lets you verify with your Microsoft account password and set a new PIN.
Tips and tricks
- If you share your PC with family, each person's PIN and Windows Hello setup stays private to their own account.
Frequently asked questions
Is a PIN less secure than a password since it's shorter?
No — a PIN is tied to this specific device and processed locally by the Trusted Platform Module, so it can't be used remotely even if intercepted, unlike a password which works from anywhere.
Can I remove password sign-in entirely?
You can require Windows Hello/PIN for everyday sign-in, but a password or recovery method typically still exists on the account for account-recovery scenarios.
Related settings
- PasskeysPasskeys 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.
- 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.
- BitLocker Device EncryptionDevice Encryption (built on BitLocker technology) encrypts your entire system drive so its contents are unreadable to anyone without your Windows sign-in credentials or a separate recovery key, even if the physical drive is removed and connected to another PC. It's automatically available on many modern PCs that meet specific hardware requirements, and can be extended to additional drives on Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.
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.