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Microsoft recently shared that over onebillion users will get a new account login experience.

Part of that new experience is a push for passwordless login.

Photo of Microsoft�s new sign-in page for Xbox.com using the Microsoft Edge browser.

The new Microsoft account sign in experience will encourage people to ditch passwords and to use passkeys.

Microsoft has nudged users away from passwords for several years.

Now, the company is making passwordless login a core part of the Microsoft account experience.

Our new UX is optimized for a passwordless and passkey-first experience."

What are passkeys? Explained in under 4 minutes - YouTube

Microsoft wants people to use passkeys because passwords are not secure.

Other tech giants, including Apple and Google, also support passkeys.

The push to passkeys is about more than getting people to embrace a more secure method of logging in.

Windows 11 local account setup

Microsoft needs to convince users to move away from passwords entirely.

“Our ultimate goal is to remove passwords completely and have accounts that only support phishing-resistant credentials.”

The new Microsoft account experience should help people transition away from passwords.

Windows 11 Taskbar closeup

What is a passkey?

Passkeys allow users to sign in to apps, websites, and services.

They are more secure than passwords and resistant to many of the flaws passwords face.

Windows 11 OOBE sign-in

At first glance, passkeys and passwords sound somewhat alike.

But the methods passwords and passkeys use to accomplish that task are very different.

Passkeys can extend across devices and are unique to websites and apps.

Windows 11 with local account

The uniqueness of passkeys is important.

But they already have backing from tech giants such as Microsoft, Google, and Apple.

Several well-known websites support passkeys as well.

Binary code displayed on a laptop screen and Guy Fawkes mask are seen in this illustration photo.

Passkeys are easy to set up and use on many sites and services.

Over time, passkeys will gain more support.

While no method of login is perfectly secure, passkeys are generally considered more secure than passwords.

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