How to Enable Microsoft Entra Passkey on Windows
- Maxime Hiez
- Entra ID , Tutorial
- 20 Oct, 2026
Introduction
Microsoft Entra passkey on Windows lets you register a device-bound passkey directly in the local Windows Hello container, to sign in to Microsoft Entra ID with Windows Hello biometrics or PIN, without the device being joined or registered to Entra ID. Worldwide and GCC rollout finished mid-June 2026, and GCC High and DoD rollout has been underway since early October 2026, with completion expected by the end of October 2026.
Check the article on activating Microsoft 365 Passkey HERE, which covered the general activation of the Passkey (FIDO2) method. This new capability builds on that same method, adding Windows Hello as a supported passkey provider.
Prerequisites
Required licenses
- Microsoft 365 (any edition supporting modern authentication).
Administrator role
- An account with the Global Administrator or Authentication Policy Administrator role to configure the passkey profile.
Other
- a Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC, on a device supporting Windows Hello.
- The Passkey (FIDO2) authentication method enabled.
Step 1 : Sign in to the Microsoft Entra Admin Center
Sign in to the Microsoft Entra Admin Center by opening your web browser to https://entra.microsoft.com.
Step 2 : Configure the passkey profile for Windows Hello
In the left-hand menu, click Authentication methods, then Passkey (FIDO2), and Configure.
Click Add profile, select Device-bound as the passkey type, and add the Windows Hello AAGUID via Add AAGUID.

note
Validate the result
Once the profile is saved, each user can register a Windows passkey from My Sign-Ins, by signing in at https://mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info, and choosing Add sign-in method, then Passkey. The passkey is then created and stored in the device’s local Windows Hello container.
To sign in afterward, the user opens a Microsoft Entra ID resource, selects Face, fingerprint, PIN, or security key as the sign-in method, then validates with Windows Hello.
warning
What sets this method apart from Windows Hello for Business
- Registration : Initiated by the user, with no device join or registration required, unlike Windows Hello for Business, which provisions automatically during device enrollment.
- Device sign-in : Not supported. Windows passkey only enables sign-in to Microsoft Entra ID, not Windows session sign-in or the associated SSO.
- Management : Driven by Entra ID’s Authentication methods policy, not by Microsoft Intune or a Group Policy.
- Multiple accounts : A single Windows device can store a separate passkey for several Microsoft Entra accounts.
Conclusion
You now know how to enable Microsoft Entra passkey on Windows, to allow a phishing-resistant sign-in on personal, shared, or non-Entra-joined devices.
Sources
Microsoft Learn - Enable Microsoft Entra passkey on Windows
Microsoft Learn - Register a Microsoft Entra passkey on Windows
Microsoft Learn - Sign in with a Microsoft Entra passkey on Windows
Did you enjoy this post ? If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to send me a message from the contact form.
Don’t forget to follow us and share this post.