Adding a passkey to your Microsoft account is a relatively simple process involving signing in to your account’s security settings, adding a new way to sign in, and following the prompts to save it to your device. This article walks you through the process and why it’s important to make the switch before February 2027.
Key Takeaways
- Work accounts can add a passkey through Security info at mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info.
- A passkey can be saved to Microsoft Authenticator, a password manager, a phone or tablet, a physical security key, or Windows Hello.
Table of Contents
Why Switching to Passkeys is Important
Microsoft is making passkeys the default sign-in method for every Microsoft Entra ID tenant starting September 1, 2026, and retiring the Microsoft-provided SMS and voice authentication codes on February 1, 2027.
If your IT team enables the registration campaign ahead of that date, you may see the “Add sign-in method” prompt automatically the next time you complete multifactor authentication, rather than needing to start the process yourself. However, the process is simple enough to do on your own.
What Do You Need Before You Add a Passkey?
You need a device with a screen lock, fingerprint reader, or face recognition, or a physical security key. Most laptops and smartphones made in the last several years will meet this requirement.
If you want to store the passkey in Microsoft Authenticator instead of on the device itself, install the app on your phone before you start.
How Do You Add a Passkey to a Microsoft Work Account?
Add a passkey to your work account through Security info, the same page your organization uses to manage multifactor authentication methods. Most employees and contractors can complete this in under two minutes.
Note: Nonprofits that use Microsoft 365 nonprofit grants or nonprofit-tier licensing (E1/E3/E5 Nonprofit, Business Premium for Nonprofit, etc.) sit on the same public commercial cloud as other Microsoft 365 tenants. So, your staff and volunteers will also need to add a passkey to their accounts.
1. Go to mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info and sign in with your work account.
2. Select “+ Add sign-in method”
3. You have two passkey options:
- To store your passkey in the app: Choose Passkey in Microsoft Authenticator (open the app on your phone and follow the prompt to create the passkey there)
- To use another device or a password manager: Choose Passkey
4. Select Create/Continue to store the new passkey in the suggested location. Alternatively, you can choose Save another way/Change to see other locations you can save it.
5. Confirm the new passkey appears as a sign-in method on the Security info page.
To troubleshoot common issues when signing in with a passkey, review Microsoft’s guidance.
Where Can You Save Your Passkey?
A passkey can be saved to any of four places, and Microsoft will show you which options are available on the device you’re using:
- Microsoft Password Manager or another synced password manager, such as Google Password Manager or Apple iCloud Keychain.
- An Android, iPhone, or iPad device by scanning a QR code with the device’s camera or the scan button in Microsoft Authenticator.
- A physical security key, such as a FIDO2 hardware key.
- Save locally to the device itself, using Windows Hello, if no synced password manager passkey already exists.
Get Your Whole Team Set Up with Passkeys
Fortunately, adding a passkey to an account takes just a couple of minutes to complete for most users. Rolling passkeys out across fifty, one hundred, or three hundred employees is a different project. It’s the kind of rollout a business is more likely to get right the first time with a managed IT services provider handling the registration campaign, device compatibility checks, and help desk support behind it. Explore Teal’s managed Microsoft 365 services.
