What Are Passkeys?

Passkeys are a modern, highly secure, and phishing-resistant method for signing into your accounts without needing a password or text message code. Instead of typing a password, passkeys use your device's built-in security features—such as facial recognition (FaceID), fingerprint (TouchID), or a device PIN—to verify your identity. This provides a faster, seamless, and much more secure login experience.

Windows Hello for Business (WHfB)

For clients currently utilizing Windows Hello for Business (WHfB) to sign into your devices—good news! WHfB acts as a passkey. It provides the same secure, passwordless authentication for your Microsoft services, meaning you are already equipped for this change.

Why is Microsoft Making This Change?

SMS text messages and voice calls are among the most vulnerable multi-factor authentication (MFA) methods available. To provide stronger security by default, Microsoft is transitioning to passkeys and retiring its built-in SMS and voice authentication services.

How This Change Affects You

Since we will not be utilizing paid, third-party telecom providers to maintain text-based authentication, SMS and voice call authentication will no longer be an option for accessing your Microsoft accounts. You will need to transition to using passkeys.

Here is the timeline of what to expect:

• September 1, 2026 (Auto-Enablement): Passkeys will become the default authentication experience. If you currently use SMS or voice for MFA, you will automatically be prompted and guided to register a passkey the next time you sign in.
• February 1, 2027 (Full Retirement): Microsoft-provided SMS and voice authentication will be permanently retired. Any user who has not registered a passkey and relies solely on SMS or voice will receive a blocking prompt and cannot sign in until a passkey is registered.

How to Register Your Passkey

You can easily register a passkey by signing into your Microsoft Security settings. For a complete, step-by-step walkthrough on how to enroll across different devices (including iOS, Android, and Windows), please use Microsoft's Official Passkey Registration Guide.

How to Use 1Password with Your Passkey

If you currently use 1Password to manage your credentials, you can save and use your Microsoft passkeys directly inside your 1Password vault. When prompted by Microsoft to register a passkey, simply let 1Password capture and save it. This allows you to securely sign into your Microsoft services across all of your devices using 1Password.

Next Steps

To avoid any disruption to your workflow, we recommend registering a passkey as soon as you are prompted upon signing in. If you have any questions or need proactive assistance setting up your passkeys ahead of these dates, please reach out to our IT Support team.