--- title: "Create and use passkeys in Windows 11 with Windows Hello" canonical: https://saasranked.com/guides/use-passkeys-windows/ applies_to: Windows 11 checked: 2026-09-08 (against Microsoft's documentation) updated: 2026-09-08 --- # Create and use passkeys in Windows 11 with Windows Hello - Windows 11, version 22H2 with KB5030310 added native passkey management, but passkeys work in all supported versions of Windows [1]. - A passkey's private key stays on your device, and only the public key is registered with the site or app [1]. - Starting in Windows 11, version 24H2, apps must get your consent before they can use passkeys. Manage this in Settings > Privacy & security > Passkey access [1]. - To sign in with a passkey from a phone, both the PC and the phone need Bluetooth on and an Internet connection [1]. - Settings > Accounts > Passkeys lists and deletes passkeys saved on the device. The shortcut ms-settings:savedpasskeys opens it directly [3]. To create a passkey in Windows 11, accept a site's offer to save one, select Continue or Create, and confirm with Windows Hello using your face, fingerprint or PIN [2]. Later, you sign in by unlocking the same way [1]. To view or delete passkeys saved on the PC, open Settings > Accounts > Passkeys [3]. ## Before you start Passkeys saved on the PC are unlocked with Windows Hello: your PIN, fingerprint or face [1][4]. Your biometric data stays on your device and is never shared with Microsoft [4]. Windows 11, version 22H2 with KB5030310 added native passkey management. Passkeys still work in all supported versions of Windows [1]. If an option below is missing, check for updates in Windows Update [4]. The site or app must support passkeys. If you're never asked to save one, the site doesn't support them yet [2]. On a work or school device, your organization may limit which passkeys you can create [4]. ## Steps 1. **Start on a site that offers passkeys.** When the site or app asks to save a passkey, select **Continue** or **Create** to use the suggested location. To pick another place, select **Change** or **Save another way** [2]. 2. **Save it to this PC.** Choose **Windows device / Windows Hello** to keep the passkey on this PC [2]. 3. **Confirm with Windows Hello.** Finish the save with your face, fingerprint or PIN [2]. 4. **Add one to a Microsoft account (optional).** Sign in at account.live.com/proofs/manage. Choose **Add a new way to sign in or verify**, select **Face, Fingerprint, PIN, or Security Key**, and follow the prompts [2]. 5. **Sign in with the passkey.** Next time you sign in to that site, approve the prompt with your face, fingerprint or PIN [1][2]. 6. **Save it to a phone instead (optional).** Choose **iPhone, iPad or Android device**, then scan the QR code with the phone's camera. Bluetooth pairing may be needed [2]. Both devices need Bluetooth on and an Internet connection [1]. 7. **Manage your passkeys.** Open **Settings** > **Accounts** > **Passkeys**, or use the shortcut `ms-settings:savedpasskeys` [3]. To delete a passkey saved on the device, select the more options icon next to its name, then select **Delete passkey** [3]. ## Check it worked Open **Settings** > **Accounts** > **Passkeys**. The page lists the passkeys saved on your device [3]. Then sign out of the site and sign back in. Windows asks for your face, fingerprint or PIN to use the passkey [2]. ## Common problems **An app can't use your passkeys.** Starting in Windows 11, version 24H2, apps need your consent to use passkeys. If you declined, open **Settings** > **Privacy & security** > **Passkey access** and turn on the switch for that app [1]. **The Windows Hello option is missing.** It may not appear if you already saved a passkey to a synced credential manager such as Microsoft Password Manager [2]. **Your phone can't sign you in.** Cross-device sign-in needs Bluetooth turned on and an Internet connection on both the PC and the phone [1]. **A passkey still shows on your account after you delete it.** Settings deletes passkeys saved on the device. For a work or school account, also delete the passkey at mysignins.microsoft.com. Microsoft account passkeys are managed from your account's security dashboard [3]. **Passkey settings are missing on a work PC.** Your organization's IT admin may have turned this feature off [3]. ## Questions **What is a passkey?** A passkey replaces a password. Your device creates a key pair: the private key stays on the device, and the public key is registered with the website or app. Each passkey is tied to one site or app, which makes it resistant to phishing [1][4]. **Can I save a passkey somewhere other than Windows Hello?** Yes. When you save it, select Change or Save another way. You can pick a password manager, an iPhone, iPad or Android device, or a physical security key [2]. **Why don't I see the Windows Hello option when saving?** It may not appear if you already saved a passkey to a synced credential manager such as Microsoft Password Manager [2]. **Why am I never asked to create a passkey?** If a site never prompts you to save a passkey, it doesn't support passkeys yet [2]. ## Sources 1. [Support for Passkeys in Windows](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/identity-protection/passkeys/), Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-09-08 2. [Create and save a passkey](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/create-and-save-a-passkey-in-windows-e92cd3e0-11fa-4630-a5ea-3ccc0396b3d9), Microsoft Support, accessed 2026-09-08 3. [Manage your saved passkeys](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/manage-your-passkeys-in-windows-6a70599a-25e1-4461-86be-d67d1023c69f), Microsoft Support, accessed 2026-09-08 4. [What are passkeys and why they matter](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/passkeys-in-windows-301c8944-5ea2-452b-9886-97e4d2ef4422), Microsoft Support, accessed 2026-09-08 Checked against Microsoft's documentation on 8 Sept 2026.