Passkeys in Windows 11 are about to get safer and easier to use

According to a new Developer Blog post, Microsoft is expanding its support for passkeys on Windows 11 soon, with plans to let you choose how your passkeys are saved and where they’re stored. A new API will also allow third-party password managers like 1Password or Bitwarden to integrate more seamlessly into the Windows passkey experience. With Windows Hello, users will be prompted to complete a one-time setup for each passkey-friendly website using their Microsoft account. Once that’s done, you can log in across all your Windows 11 devices using whichever authentication method you prefer — PIN, fingerprint, or facial recognition. All passkeys will be secured with end-to-end encryption and use your PC’s TPM (Trusted Platform Module) to keep them protected. While Windows Hello will only help you log in to Windows 11 devices, if you also store your passkey with a third-party password manager, you’ll be able to use it on other compatible operating systems as well. The redesign isn’t done yet, and the imagery Microsoft has to share so far is just “draft UX,” but the company plans to share more at the Authenticate 2024 conference next week. As for release dates, Windows Insiders will get to see the new features in action first, at some point during the “coming months.” If it’s still months away for Windows Insiders, it will be even longer until ordinary users get to see the new features, but it’s good to know that it’s coming. Passkeys are a step in the right direction for a simple and secure online experience, but the quicker the integration progresses, the happier we’ll all be. Dealing with multiple different ways to log in and authenticate for different sites and devices is quite a bother. Similarly, Apple also made a significant change to how macOS handles passwords with the new macOS Sequoia Passwords app. Microsoft is testing out an interesting new aspect within the Settings of the latest Windows 11 preview build that allows users to expand the functions of various applications. The app settings called “Actions,” was hidden in the 26120.3576 build for the Dev Channel. However, enthusiasts uncovered the menu and shared details of its function on various Windows forums, noting the associated apps currently include Photos and Paint. When toggled on, it enables useful tasks that deepen the functions within apps. Microsoft has updated the support page for the Windows 11 build it released last week to reveal a rather amusing bug — it seems to have caused some devices to automatically uninstall the Copilot app and unpin it from the taskbar. At the time of writing, Microsoft is still working on a resolution to the issue spotted by Windows Latest, recommending affected users reinstall the app and pin it back to the taskbar manually. It looks like the bug can occur on any device if it updates to build KB5053598 from Windows 11 24H2, 23H2, or 22H2, along with Windows 10 22H2 or 21H2. If you use an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you know how frustrating it can be to try signing into one of your favorite online accounts on a Windows PC only to realize you don’t have that login. If you’re like me, you switch devices throughout the day. When logins don’t sync, that means looking up and typing long complicated passwords, which is time-consuming and error-prone. You might expect passkeys to help, but there are still problems. Many websites support passkeys but not all, and the lack of universal support and compatibility issues prevent passkeys from fully replacing passwords in 2025.