Windows Hello and passkeys: should I stop using passwords?

Windows keeps asking me to set up Windows Hello and websites now offer passkeys. I've used passwords forever and I'm not sure if passkeys are actually safer or if I'll get locked out if I lose my phone. Should I stop using passwords and switch to Windows Hello and passkeys?

Concerns & risks

Your PC and websites keep prompting you to set up Windows Hello and passkeys, and you want to know if it's safer and what happens if you lose a device.

At a glance: a safe switch to passkeys
Account	Action
Email	Add a passkey and a backup method first
Microsoft, Apple, Google	Add passkeys, keep recovery codes
Banking	Use the bank's strongest option
Older sites	Password manager with unique passwords

Windows Hello sign-in (Microsoft official image), annotated: Face, fingerprint or PIN tied to your PC — Face, fingerprint or PIN tied to your PC. Image: Microsoft (official source, cropped and annotated by ReportSpeed)

Overview diagram: Passkeys vs passwords — Set up Hello; Passkeys on email; Two sign-in methods; Save recovery codes — The whole fix at a glance: set up hello, passkeys on email, two sign-in methods, save recovery codes. Original diagram by ReportSpeed

Causes & evidence

Windows Hello lets you sign in with your face, fingerprint or a PIN tied to your device. Passkeys replace passwords with a cryptographic key pair stored on your device or password manager; sites never see a reusable secret, which makes them resistant to phishing. Microsoft, Apple and Google support passkeys, and syncing or a backup method helps protect against losing one device.

Passkeys use public-key cryptography: your device keeps the private key, and the site only stores a public key. Phishing sites can't use it because passkeys are tied to the real site.

Troubleshooting flowchart: try each step in order and stop when it is fixed — Windows Hello and passkeys — Work through it in order and stop when the problem is gone. Original diagram by ReportSpeed

A password you typed into a fake page is gone forever; a passkey simply won't work on the wrong site.

What to do

Step illustration: numbered steps for Windows Hello and passkeys — The steps from this answer as numbered cards. Original diagram by ReportSpeed

Comparison chart: Passwords vs Windows Hello vs passkeys — Passwords vs Windows Hello vs passkeys. Original diagram by ReportSpeed

Passwords vs Windows Hello vs passkeys
Method	Phishing resistance	If you lose a device
Password only	Low	Reset via email or recovery
Password plus MFA	Better	Use backup codes or another factor
Windows Hello (PIN, face, fingerprint)	Device-bound sign-in	Sign in with your account recovery
Passkeys (synced)	High	Restore from your synced account
Passkeys (single device)	High	Need another passkey or recovery method

Set up Windows Hello with a PIN plus face or fingerprint if your PC supports it.
Turn on passkeys for important accounts like email, Microsoft, Apple or Google.
Keep at least two sign-in methods per important account, such as a second device or backup codes.
Store recovery codes somewhere safe and offline.
Keep a password manager for sites that don't support passkeys yet.

Common mistakes:

Having only one device with your passkey
Skipping recovery codes
Turning off MFA after setting up passkeys

ReportSpeedMan tip: Start with your email account; it's the key that resets everything else.

What I would actually do

iPhone lineup (Apple official image), annotated: Synced passkeys protect against a lost phone — Synced passkeys protect against a lost phone. Image: Apple (official source, cropped and annotated by ReportSpeed)

start with email, add a passkey plus a second device or backup codes, then move to Microsoft, Apple and Google accounts. I'd keep a password manager for older sites.

The trade-off people miss: a single passkey on a single device is a lockout risk. Backups turn passkeys from fragile to robust.

Signs it worked

You sign in with a glance or fingerprint and can still get in if you lose a device.

Quick FAQ

What if I lose my phone?
Use synced passkeys, a second device or recovery codes to get back in.

Is a PIN weaker than a password?
A Windows Hello PIN is tied to your device, so it's not useful to someone who steals it remotely.

Do all sites support passkeys?
Not yet; use a password manager for the rest.

Wrap-up: Passkeys and Windows Hello are safer than passwords for most people. Set up backups so losing a device isn't a lockout.

Wiki: Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).

Windows Hello and passkeys: official pages behind this answer

Step-by-step photos

1. Before The problem
2. Why it happens The cause
3. The fix The fix
4. After The result

⚡ Speed Summary

Passkeys and Windows Hello are safer than passwords for most people.
Start with your email account; it's the key that resets everything else.
A password you typed into a fake page is gone forever; a passkey simply won't work on the wrong site.

Windows Hello and passkeys: should I stop using passwords?

Concerns & risks

Causes & evidence