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Microsoft is changing how you log in to your accounts

Microsoft 365, Copilot and Skype accounts can now use “passkeys,” which are more secure than passwords. Here’s how they work.

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May 2, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. EDT
An eye in a computer.
(Illustration by The Washington Post; iStock)
4 min

As passwords slowly go extinct, Microsoft is introducing another way to log in to your consumer account.

The company said Thursday that users logging in to Microsoft 365 workplace software, Copilot, Xbox and Skype can now use “passkeys” rather than traditional passwords or an authenticator app. That means whatever biometric authentication (such as a thumbprint or face ID) you use to open your phone or computer will be all you need to access your Microsoft account. Passkeys are available on desktop and mobile browsers starting Thursday, with support for mobile apps in the coming weeks, the company said.