Now Microsoft is saying goodbye to passwords, know what passkeys are and what you need to do
Microsoft has announced that after August 2025, its Authenticator app will not support saving or auto filling passwords. People who used this app to store their login details will now have to switch to a new system called passkeys.
This system is directly linked to your phone or biometric ID, which makes login more secure.
Microsoft has been pushing for a password-free system for a while, and this step became important because the company reported more than 7000 password attacks every second.
As cybercrime continues to grow, Microsoft has decided that passkeys are the safer solution for the future.
What does the Microsoft Authenticator app do?
Microsoft Authenticator is a free app available on both Android and iOS. It helps users log in to their accounts in a secure way.
At first, this app was only for two-step verification, but later Microsoft added features to save and autofill passwords too.
This meant users could store their passwords, sync them across devices and use fingerprint, face ID or PIN for login.
But now Microsoft is removing the password feature and asking users to switch to passkeys.
How long will the password system work?
Microsoft has already started removing password support. Here is the timeline:
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June 2025: You won’t be able to add new passwords in the app
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July 2025: The autofill feature will stop working, so the app will not fill in your login details
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August 2025: All saved passwords will be deleted from the app permanently
A message in the app says you can export your saved passwords until the autofill ends.
To export passwords, go to Settings and select ‘Export Passwords’. You can then import these passwords into other autofill services like your Google account or iCloud Keychain.
Another option is to use Microsoft Edge as your autofill provider. In the app, tap ‘Turn on Edge’ and Edge will be able to access your login details since they are synced with your Microsoft account.
What are passkeys?
Passkeys are a new and more secure way to log in, where you don’t need to remember or type any password.
The system works with your device and verifies you through biometrics or a PIN.
Passkeys were created by the FIDO Alliance, which is an organization that builds online security standards.
When you create a passkey, a private key is stored on your device. While logging in, your public key matches with it to confirm your identity.
Why are passkeys more secure than passwords?
Passwords have always been a weak point in online safety. Many people use simple passwords or the same one everywhere.
So if one account gets hacked, others also become unsafe. This is also how phishing scams steal login information.
Passkeys fix all of these problems. You don’t need to type anything, and the information is not stored on any server, which means hackers can’t get it.
Also, since passkeys are connected to your device and your identity, they are much harder to break than passwords.
Microsoft says passkeys have a 98 percent success rate for logging in, while passwords only succeed about 32 percent of the time.
Some people may worry about losing their phone, but many already use more than one device like tablets or laptops that support biometric login. These can be used as backup.
Who else is using passkeys besides Microsoft?
Not just Microsoft, but Google, Apple and Amazon are also using passkeys now.
According to the FIDO Alliance, over 15 billion accounts now support passkey login. Microsoft also says around 1 million new passkeys are being created every day.
How to set up a passkey in Microsoft Authenticator
If you already use the Authenticator app, setting up a passkey is easy. Open the app, go to Settings, select your account and tap ‘Set up a passkey’.
You will need to log in once, and then the app will guide you through the setup steps.
If you are setting up the app for the first time, it may ask you to allow the app as a passkey source in your device settings. Once allowed, you can start using passkeys.
You can also set it up online by logging in to your Microsoft account. Go to ‘Advanced Security Options’, click on ‘Add a new way to sign in or verify’ and choose ‘Face, Fingerprint, PIN, or Security Key’.
Microsoft says the system will pick the best login method for you. So even if both password and passkey are available, it will prefer the passkey.
All new Microsoft accounts will use passkeys by default. The login system is also being redesigned to make it easier and password-free.
Microsoft’s decision clearly shows that the tech world is moving beyond passwords. You should also start preparing now. Logging in with passkeys is not just safer but also easier.
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