Passkey Support is Now Available for Microsoft Consumer Accounts

Microsoft is celebrating World Pass Day by taking another important step in its passwordless journey, and that is passkey support for Microsoft consumer accounts. Starting today, everyone with a personal Microsoft account can use a passkey to access it using face or fingerprint recognition or a device pin on Windows, Google, and Apple platforms.

Microsoft added native support for passkeys on Windows 11 last year as Apple, Google, Amazon, and companies started embracing this passwordless authentication method. Back in 2021, Microsoft also allowed users to remove the password for their Microsoft account and sign into it using the Microsoft Authenticator app, Windows Hello, a security key, or a verification code sent by text or email. But Passkeys can now provide a more seamless and secure sign-in experience.

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"With passkeys, instead of creating, managing, remembering, and entering passwords, you access your digital accounts the same way you unlock your device—usually with your face, fingerprint, or device PIN," Microsoft explained today. "Passkeys are so much easier and more secure than passwords that we predict passkeys will replace passwords almost entirely (and we hope this happens soon)."

To create a passkey for your personal Microsoft account, you'll first need to open this link. When asked to add a new way to sign to your account, you'll need to pick up "face, fingerprint, PIN, or security key option." You'll then need to choose how to want to create a passkey, and that can be with your phone, tablet, and security key.

Next, when you'll need to sign into your Microsoft account, you'll be able to pick up the "face, fingerprint, PIN, or security key" option. That will open a security window on your device where you can verify your identity.

"Today, you can use a passkey to sign in to Microsoft apps and websites, including Microsoft 365 and Copilot on desktop and mobile browsers. Support for signing into mobile versions of Microsoft applications using your passkey will follow in the coming weeks," Microsoft said today.

Google also announced some passkey updates today, with the company's Advanced Protection Program soon adding support for the passwordless authentication method. The company also announced that passkeys have been used on over 400 million Google Accounts for more than one billion authentications in less than a year.