© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

You Can Scrap The Password For Your Microsoft Account And Sign In With An App

Microsoft says ditching passwords will make logging into your account both easier and safer.
Gerard Julien
/
AFP via Getty Images
Microsoft says ditching passwords will make logging into your account both easier and safer.

Microsoft is about to make it easier for those of us who struggle to keep track of our passwords or remember which one we used for each account.

Starting this week, the tech giant is rolling out passwordless sign-in for consumers, so you no longer have to enter a password to gain access to your Microsoft accounts.

"Nobody likes passwords. They're inconvenient. They're a prime target for attacks," Vasu Jakkal, Microsoft's corporate vice president of security, compliance and identity, said in a statement.

"Yet for years they've been the most important layer of security for everything in our digital lives — from email to bank accounts, shopping carts to video games," she added.

Now, Microsoft users can ditch passwords altogether and enter what the company calls the "passwordless future." Company officials said it will make logging into your account both easier and safer.

The process for going passwordless is fairly simple, and Microsoft has detailed instructions for how to do it.

But the gist is that you use an app such as Microsoft Authenticator, which connects to your phone, or Windows Hello, which lets users sign into their account with their face, fingerprint or personal identification number. Consumers will also be able to use a security key or have a verification code sent to their phone or email — both more secure than a simple, guessable password.

Passwordless sign-in will let you sign into Microsoft apps such as Outlook, OneDrive and Family Safety, though it may not be available for all users right away.

The company began offering passwordless sign-in for commercial accounts in March.

And if you say goodbye to your password and later regret it, Microsoft said you can always add it back to your account.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Joe Hernandez
[Copyright 2024 NPR]

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Related Content