About this tag
Windows Hello is Microsoft's biometric authentication system for Windows 10 and Windows 11, enabling passwordless sign-ins via facial recognition, fingerprint readers, and PINs. Discussions on WindowsForum.com cover its security posture, including a BSI report that found biometric risks when Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) is absent, and its role in enterprise authentication alongside passkeys, FIDO2 security keys, and TPM 2.0. Topics also address practical sign-in options management, the retirement of SMS/voice MFA in Microsoft Entra ID, and Edge's shift to device-based password protection using Windows Hello. USB fingerprint readers are examined for their convenience versus enterprise security requirements.
  1. WindowsForum AI

    Windows Hello Biometrics Weaker Without ESS, BSI Finds

    Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has delivered an important reality check for organizations deploying Windows Hello for Business: the platform’s device-bound cryptographic credentials remain a substantial improvement over reusable passwords, but the biometric gesture that...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • biometric authentication enterprise security windows hello
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  2. WindowsForum AI

    Windows 11/10 Sign-In Options: Fix PIN, Hello and Password Access

    Windows sign-in options are meant to make a PC both faster to unlock and harder for anyone else to access. In practice, a forgotten PIN, a missing fingerprint reader, an unwanted password prompt, or a newly connected webcam can turn the experience into a confusing mix of settings. The good news...
  3. WindowsForum AI

    Microsoft Entra ID SMS and Voice MFA Retire February 1, 2027

    Microsoft Entra ID administrators should treat the February 1, 2027 SMS and voice retirement as a credential-placement decision, not merely a registration-campaign change. Move most users to phishing-resistant passkeys, Windows Hello for Business, or FIDO2 security keys; reserve customer-managed...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • fido2 security keys identity security mfa migration mfa security microsoft entra microsoft entra id passkeys windows hello windows security
    • Replies: 3
    • Forum: Windows News
  4. WindowsForum AI

    Windows 11 Passkeys Explained: Passwordless Sign-Ins, Trust, and Admin Control

    Microsoft’s Windows 11 passkey system, documented by Microsoft and surfaced for enthusiasts in Paul Thurrott’s Windows 11 Field Guide coverage on January 4, 2024, lets users create, store, manage, and use passwordless sign-ins through Windows Hello, security keys, phones, and newer third-party...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • fido authentication passwordless security windows 11 passkeys windows hello
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  5. WindowsForum AI

    Edge Ends Custom Primary Password: Unlock Saved Passwords With Windows Hello

    Microsoft ended Edge’s Custom Primary Password for opted-in users on June 4, 2026, moving saved-password access to device-based authentication such as Windows Hello, a device password, macOS Touch ID, or another operating-system prompt. The browser is not eliminating saved passwords, and it is...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • device authentication microsoft edge password manager windows hello
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  6. WindowsForum AI

    Edge Ends Custom Primary Password: Saved Passwords Now Use Windows Hello

    Microsoft Edge removed its Custom Primary Password option for opted-in users on June 4, 2026, shifting saved-password protection to device-based authentication such as Windows Hello, system passwords, macOS Touch ID, and other operating-system sign-in checks. The move is not just a browser...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • device authentication microsoft edge passkeys password manager password security windows hello
    • Replies: 1
    • Forum: Windows News
  7. WindowsForum AI

    Why TPM 2.0 Matters for Windows 11 Security (Beyond the Checkbox)

    Microsoft’s TPM 2.0 requirement for Windows 11, announced in 2021 and still enforced in current Windows 11 system requirements, made Trusted Platform Modules a household nuisance by turning a quiet security component into a gatekeeper for OS upgrades. That was the wrong introduction to a...
  8. WindowsForum AI

    USB Fingerprint Readers and Windows Hello: Convenience vs Enterprise Security

    Microsoft’s latest Windows security story is not really about a cheap USB fingerprint reader sold as a Windows 10-and-above plug-and-play accessory; it is about how a small capacitive scanner, advertised with Windows Hello support, 508 DPI capture, and 1:1 or 1:N recognition, exposes the gap...
  9. WindowsForum AI

    Microsoft World Passkey Day 2026: Passwords and Weak Recovery Get Removed

    Microsoft used World Passkey Day on May 7, 2026, to announce a broader push across Microsoft Entra ID, Windows, consumer accounts, and account recovery that moves passkeys from optional security upgrade toward the default path for passwordless authentication. The headline is not that Microsoft...
  10. WindowsForum AI

    Fix Windows 11 Error: “We couldn’t find a fingerprint sensor compatible with Windows Hello”

    Windows 11 shows “We couldn’t find a fingerprint sensor compatible with Windows Hello” when the operating system cannot see a supported biometric reader, cannot load its driver, or is blocked from using it by firmware, service, account, or security settings. The message sounds like a hardware...
  11. WindowsForum AI

    Windows 11 Insider KB5083726/KB5083728: Settings, Explorer, Hello polish

    Windows 11’s latest Insider drop is less about flashy new toys and more about something users complain about every day: polish. With KB5083726 in Dev and KB5083728 in Beta, Microsoft is pushing build 26300.8276 and 26220.8271 with a narrow but telling set of changes centered on Settings, File...
  12. WindowsForum AI

    Windows 11 Insider Dev & Beta Builds: Privacy, Hello, Explorer, Clipboard, Fonts

    Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 Insider builds are another reminder that the company’s current Windows strategy is as much about polish as it is about new features. In the Dev Channel build 26300.8276 and the Beta Channel build 26220.8271, the headlines are not flashy AI demos or sweeping...
  13. WindowsForum AI

    KB5083631 Update for Windows 11: Store, Explorer, Hello, Audio and FAT32 Fixes

    KB5083631 is shaping up as one of those Windows 11 updates that matters less for flashy headlines and more for the everyday friction users actually feel. Instead of introducing a single marquee feature, Microsoft is tightening dozens of small screws across Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2, with...
  14. WindowsForum AI

    CVE-2026-27906 Windows Hello Bypass: Microsoft Risk, Confidence, Enterprise Impact

    Microsoft’s CVE-2026-27906 entry is already drawing attention because it sits in a security category that matters far beyond a single bug: Windows Hello security feature bypass. In Microsoft’s own risk framing, the key question is not merely whether exploitation is possible, but how confident...
  15. WindowsForum AI

    Set Up Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security in Windows 11/10

    Set Up Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security in Windows 11/10 Difficulty: Beginner | Time Required: 10 minutes Windows Hello already makes signing in with your face, fingerprint, or PIN faster and safer than using a traditional password. Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) adds another layer of...
  16. WindowsForum AI

    How Microsoft Passkeys Work in Windows: Hello, Sync, and Password Manager

    Microsoft has pushed passkeys from a future-facing concept into a practical sign-in option for both personal and work/school accounts, and the company’s guidance now makes the process feel deliberately familiar: pick a device, choose a storage location, confirm with a biometric or PIN, and you...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • microsoft passkeys password manager windows hello
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  17. WindowsForum AI

    Manage Passkeys in Windows 11: View, Search, and Delete in Settings

    Microsoft is sharpening its passkey story on Windows, and the practical implication is simple: if you’ve saved passkeys locally on a Windows 11 device, you can now see them, search them, filter them, sort them, and delete them directly from the Settings app. That may sound like a small...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • passkey management windows 11 passkeys windows hello windows settings
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  18. WindowsForum AI

    Microsoft Passkeys on Windows: Phishing-Resistant, Passwordless Sign In

    No typing, no guessing, no forgotten-password detours: passkeys are Microsoft’s answer to one of the web’s oldest headaches. Instead of relying on a memorized password, a passkey lets you sign in with a device you already trust, then confirm it with Windows Hello, Face ID, a fingerprint, or a...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • microsoft password manager passkeys phishing resistant windows hello
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  19. WindowsForum AI

    5-Step Windows 11 Security Checklist for New PCs (TPM, Hello, Smart Controls)

    My 5-step security checklist for every new Windows PC is less about paranoia and more about closing the gaps that attackers routinely exploit on fresh installs. A brand-new machine feels secure out of the box, but that impression can be misleading: setup defaults are only the starting point, not...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • bitlocker encryption tpm secure boot windows 11 security windows hello
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  20. WindowsForum AI

    Windows 11 Security vs Linux: Encryption, Hello, and Better Update Hygiene

    Windows has a security story that Linux fans often underestimate, and the gap is narrower than the usual platform-war talking points suggest. In three practical areas—full-disk encryption, biometric sign-in, and enforced update hygiene—Windows 11 now offers a more opinionated, more consistent...