Passwords have long been a source of frustration for both users and tech companies, and Microsoft is doubling down on its commitment to phase them out. Last year, the company set an ambitious target of helping one billion people adopt passkeys, a faster and more secure alternative. While Windows users may have already seen prompts to create and store passkeys for third-party services, many have overlooked the fact that setting up a passkey for their Microsoft account is just as simple—and perhaps even more important.
Creating a passkey for your Microsoft account can be done in a few quick steps. First, visit account.microsoft.com/security and navigate to the “Manage how I sign in” section. From there, under “Ways to prove who you are,” select “Add a new way to sign in or verify.” You’ll then be given the option to use biometric authentication such as face or fingerprint recognition, a PIN, or a hardware security key. At this stage, Windows will generate a pop-up asking if you want to save the passkey.
The important step is choosing where the passkey will be stored. By default, Windows saves it locally to your PC, but most users will want it linked to their Microsoft account so it can be accessed across multiple devices. For those setting up a passkey on a mobile phone, the process involves scanning a QR code with the device’s camera. Alternatively, users with dedicated security keys such as YubiKey or Google Titan can simply insert the device into their PC to complete the setup.
Passkeys saved on mobile devices also benefit from automatic syncing through iCloud Keychain on iOS or Google Password Manager on Android, ensuring that logins are available across linked devices. Of course, this makes it crucial to maintain strong credentials for those services as well. Once completed, the passkey can be used to log in not just to your Microsoft account online, but also for Windows itself, offering a seamless, password-free experience that aligns with Microsoft’s vision of a safer, simpler future for account security.
