If you use Microsoft Authenticator to manage your passwords, the clock is ticking.
On Aug. 1, the app won't store or manage your passwords anymore. That means you won't be able to save passwords or use two-factor authentication or auto-fill.
And if the Authenticator app was your go-to password manager, you'll need to find a new one. Microsoft is moving to a login method we're becoming more familiar with: passkeys. Instead of a mix of letters, symbols and numbers, you'll use PINs, fingerprint scans, facial recognition or a pattern on your device's lock screen to log in to your accounts. Attila Tomaschek, a CNET software senior writer and digital security expert, believes it's a safer option compared with the risky password practices we use.
By the numbers, 49% of US adults have bad password habits, according to a CNET survey. Having a password you use for several accounts or that's easy to guess can put you at risk of hackers stealing your data.
There's less than a week before the big switch. So it's time to figure out how passkeys will work with Microsoft and to pick a new password manager. Here's what you need to know to get started.
Microsoft Authenticator will stop supporting passwords on Aug. 1
Microsoft Authenticator houses your passwords and lets you sign into all your Microsoft accounts using a PIN, facial recognition like Windows Hello, or other biometric data like a fingerprint. Authenticator can be used in other ways, such as verifying you're logging in if you forgot your password, or using two-factor authentication as an extra layer of security for your accounts. In June, the company stopped letting users add passwords to Authenticator.
As of this month, you won't be able to use the autofill password function. And next month, you'll no longer be able to use saved passwords.
If you still want to use passwords instead of passkeys, you can store them in Microsoft Edge. However, CNET experts recommend adopting passkeys during this transition. "Passkeys use public key cryptography to authenticate users, rather than relying on users themselves creating their own (often weak or reused) passwords to access their online accounts," Tomaschek said.
Why passkeys are a better alternative to passwords
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