Use Passkeys on Windows
Typing passwords on a Windows PC is miserable — the hunt-and-peck, the symbol switching, the typos. Passkeys end it: you set one up once per site, and from then on you log in with Windows Hello — face, fingerprint, or PIN. No typing, no remembering, nothing to phish. Here is how to create and use them on Windows, step by step.
TL;DR / Quick Fix
Quick fix: on a site that offers passkeys, go to its security settings and choose to create a passkey — Windows saves it with Windows Hello. Next login, choose the passkey option and use your face, fingerprint, or PIN. Start with your Microsoft account; it protects everything downstream.
Follow these steps
- Set up Windows Hello first. Go to Settings, then Accounts, then Sign-in options, and set up face, fingerprint, or PIN. Passkeys on Windows unlock with Hello — no Hello means no passkeys, so this is the prerequisite.
- Find a site that supports passkeys. Go to the site's account security settings and look for Passkeys, Passwordless, or Sign in with a passkey. Microsoft, Google, banks, and password managers increasingly offer it — the list grows monthly.
- Create the passkey. Choose the create option and confirm with Windows Hello. Windows generates the key pair, keeps the private key on the device or in your synced account, and gives the site the public one. Ten seconds, no typing.
- Log in with it. Next visit, choose Sign in with passkey instead of typing a password. Windows prompts for Hello, and you are in. Notice what is missing: no password field, nothing to intercept.
- Know your sync options. Passkeys can live on the device, in your Microsoft account, or in a third-party password manager. Device-only keys are simplest; synced keys survive a dead laptop — pick based on how much you trust the sync.
- Keep a recovery path. For each important account, confirm the recovery options still work — printed codes, a second device, or the old password kept for now. A passkey with no fallback and a dead laptop is a locked account.
What NOT to do
- Do not delete your password the same day. Keep it until passkey logins work smoothly on every device you use.
- Do not create passkeys without Windows Hello set up. The passkey is only as convenient as its unlock method.
- Do not use passkeys on a shared PC. The key lives in that user profile — convenient for the next user, a lockout for you.
- Do not confuse passkeys with PIN login. The Windows PIN unlocks the device; the passkey replaces the website password — related, not the same.
Frequently asked questions
Do passkeys work in any browser on Windows?
Yes — Edge and Chrome both support them, triggering the Windows Hello prompt. The passkey lives in Windows or your manager, not the browser.
Can I use my phone as the passkey for my PC?
Yes — the PC shows a QR code, you scan it with your phone, and confirm with biometrics. Handy when the passkey lives on your phone.
What happens if I reinstall Windows?
Device-bound passkeys are wiped with the reinstall. Synced passkeys come back with your account — another reason to prefer sync for important logins.