Microsoft Introduces Passwordless Sign in, Users Can Now Sign in
The FIDO Alliance estimates that over 15 billion user accounts can now sign in using passkeys, but billions more are needed to make every sign-in passwordless. Microsoft has been working on passkeys for over a decade, starting with Windows Hello, a biometric authentication method that allows users to sign in with their face, fingerprint, or PIN.
Microsoft has announced that new Microsoft accounts will be "passwordless by default", with users being prompted to use passkeys for signing in instead of passwords, simplifying the sign-in process and improving security.
This change comes after a year of supporting passkeys for consumer accounts, and existing users can delete their passwords from their account settings. Microsoft has also simplified the sign-in process by prioritizing passwordless methods and automatically detecting the best available method on a user's account. The company joins other tech giants like Apple, Google, and Amazon in moving towards a passwordless future.
Passkeys use public/private key cryptography to authenticate users, eliminating the need for passwords. The FIDO Alliance, which backs passkeys, is working to improve credential provider interoperability and make passkeys easier to export across different providers. Over 100 companies now support passkeys, and the FIDO Alliance has established a Payments Working Group to define and drive FIDO solutions for payment use cases.
Microsoft's Authenticator app will stop saving new passwords on June 1, as part of a shift to prioritize browser-based password management. The app will still support passkeys, but users will no longer be able to save new passwords, and autofill will be phased out by July. Microsoft is pushing users to use the Edge browser for password management, where passwords and addresses are synced to the Microsoft account and can be accessed with autofill functionality.
Microsoft encourages users to secure their accounts with a passkey to protect their digital life from unauthorized access. With hundreds of websites now supporting passkeys, representing billions of accounts, the company aims to eventually remove password support altogether as more people enroll passkeys.