What is a passkey?

Question

What is a passkey?

Answer

A passkey provides a more secure, phishing-resistant way to verify your identity when signing in. Instead of entering a code or approving a notification, a passkey uses cryptographic security and confirms your identity using a trusted device, such as your phone, computer, or security key, along with a fingerprint, facial recognition, or PIN. Because the passkey is tied to the legitimate website and cannot be intercepted or reused by attackers, it helps protect your account from phishing attacks, password theft, and fraudulent sign-in requests while providing a simpler and faster sign-in experience.

NOTE: Passkeys became the default Microsoft Entra authentication on September 1, 2026.

There are two different categories of passkeys:

  1. A device‑bound passkey (including those stored locally in Microsoft Authenticator or on a security key) is tied to a single device or authenticator instance and does not sync, meaning it must be re‑registered on each new device.
  2. In contrast, a synced passkey for a Microsoft work or school account is a phishing‑resistant sign‑in credential (based on FIDO2) that is securely saved in a cloud‑backed credential manager—such as iCloud Keychain, or Google Password Manager—and automatically syncs across your devices, so you can use it even if you change or lose a device.

Both use biometrics or a PIN to prove your identity and are resistant to phishing, but synced passkeys prioritize convenience and portability across devices (most suitable for regular users), while device‑bound passkeys provide tighter control by keeping the credential confined to one device (recommended for high-profile users and administrators with access to sensitive data). 

The following phishing‑resistant passkey-based MFA methods are currently supported for your Microsoft work/school account (UWin Account):

Passkeys are becoming the new standard for secure authentication as they provide a faster, easier, and more secure way to access your university account while helping protect against phishing and other cyber threats.

New users have to set up MS Authenticator push notifications before they can add their device-bound passkey or any other type of passkey.

View this chart to help decide which passkey is best for you:

Learn more about passkeys and other multi-factor authentication topics.

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