Overview
- Microsoft detailed new passkey features and timing, with Entra passkeys on Windows and Entra External ID both reaching general availability in late May 2026.
- The company will remove security questions as a reset method in Entra ID starting January 2027 and now supports account recovery with government ID and a face check through partners including 1Kosmos and CLEAR.
- Industry use is surging, with the FIDO Alliance estimating 5 billion passkeys in use and Microsoft reporting hundreds of millions of daily consumer sign‑ins using passkeys across services like OneDrive, Xbox, and Copilot.
- Security reporting shows everyday risk remains high, as short passwords can be cracked in seconds and common picks like “admin” and “123456” still top lists, which is why experts push password managers and app‑based 2FA over SMS.
- Passkeys replace passwords with a device‑stored private key unlocked by a face, fingerprint, or PIN, which blocks look‑alike site scams and also makes logins faster, so more users should expect prompts to add a passkey on major apps soon.