Windows 11 starts without passwords tomorrow

Microsoft held a fall event in New York last week to unveil the updated Surface lineup. In addition to hardware, he also took the opportunity to announce the launch of Windows 11 23H2 on September 26. Although the main protagonists were the Copilot assistant and everything related to investment in AI, there were other less publicized features, but equally or more important: Windows 11 without passwords.

In a dedicated article, Microsoft explained what we can expect from the next Windows in terms of security. The most important about “Windows Security Design for a New Era” is a commitment to use passkeys in Windows 11 to make it more secure to sign in to websites and apps using biometric authentication systems like Windows Hello. The result must be a future without passwords.

Windows 11 without passwords

Passwords are both a blessing and a curse. They serve to protect files, devices and more, but they are also an insecure method (if used incorrectly) and very unattractive to use. There are alternatives and those based on access keys They are the most promising.

Unlike passwords, which are stored on servers (and therefore can be hacked or intercepted), passcodes are more secure because they are stored locally on devices. But best of all it is no need to remember passwords to sign in to supported apps and websites. Instead, identities can be verified using biometrics (such as facial recognition or fingerprint scanning). From there, the passkey is “unlocked” to access the accounts.

As we saw in Insiders testing, these are unique codes linked to specific devices such as computers, tablets or smartphones. The use of passkeys significantly reduces the risk of data breaches as they provide protection against phishing attacks by preventing theft and unauthorized access.

To use it on Windows, you need to go to an authorized website such as google.com, create a password by accessing it from your account settings, sign out, and sign in again with the newly created passwords. In Windows 11, you can manage them with a new dialog for administration under Settings > Accounts > Passwords. Here you’ll see all the keys stored on your Windows device, and you can search for and delete the ones you no longer use.

Tomorrow we will see this “Windows 11 without passwords” when version 23H2 is launched. Users will be able to create a passkey with Windows Hello and use it to access a website or app using facial recognition, fingerprint scanning, or a Windows PIN without needing a password. Thanks to Microsoft’s industry partnerships and participation in the Fast Identity Online (FIDO) alliance, this feature should work with GitHub, DocuSign, PayPal, and other sites that support them.

But it’s not just Microsoft that has committed to these types of security improvements. Apple recently announced a similar passcode feature with iOS 17 for iPhone. Google also announced that it will introduce Google Account passkey support across all of its services and platforms to allow users to sign in to their accounts without entering a password or using two-step verification (2SV). Web Authentication Access Keys and Credentials (WebAuthn), also known as FIDO credentials, are expected to Standard access to accounts without passwords.