The Hot Take: I guess OK? Is it going to be a google authenticated Microsoft account though?
Microsoft is quietly loosening its grip on the Microsoft account (MSA) requirement. Edge is getting a new option to sign in with a Google account, and we already know that internal teams in the company are working to bring back local account in Windows 11. This may be the first time in 10 years that Microsoft is getting a change of heart when it comes to forcing us to sign in with MSA.
For years, Microsoft pushed MSA hard. You needed one to set up Windows 11, to get the most out of Bing, to claim Rewards points, and to sync anything in Edge.
The company even paid people $1 million to use Bing, a promotion that only worked if you had a Microsoft account, since Bing Rewards cannot be redeemed without one. But something has changed. Microsoft is quietly stepping back from that hard stance, and the most visible sign of it is coming to Edge.
Microsoft Edge will let you sign in with a Google account
Microsoft has added a new entry to the Microsoft 365 Roadmap (Roadmap ID: 565860), confirming that Edge users will be able to sign in to the browser using a Google account. The feature is currently in development and is slated to begin rolling out in July 2026. It will be available on both Windows and macOS.
New Google sign in option in Microsoft Edge
We got early access to a build of Edge where the feature is already live, and in the profile menu, below the existing âSign in to syncâ button, there is now a new âOr sign in withâ section with a Google button. Clicking it opens Googleâs standard sign-in page, which shows the Edge logo and asks you to sign in with your Google account to continue to Microsoft Edge.
Once signed in, the Edge profile card shows your Gmail address, with sync turned on. Your Google account becomes the profile identity, no Microsoft account required.
Signed into Microsoft Edge with a Google account
Note that the UI or behaviours may change as we still have a few more weeks since this rolls out to general public. Of course, this doesnât mean that Microsoft account is being removed, but the Google account login is an addition, not a replacement.
Microsoft says: âUsers can now sign in to Microsoft Edge using a Google account in addition to the Microsoft account from the profile menu and Edge sign-in screen.â
Enterprise administrators can control whether the feature is available using the NonMicrosoftAccountSignInEnabled policy.
Itâs clear that Microsoft is targeting Chrome users. If your passwords, bookmarks, and browsing history are all linked to a Google account, signing into Edge with that same Google account means a far lower barrier to switching. You get all the Microsoft ecosystem perks, vertical tabs, and immersive reader, both of which Google already copied, and my favourite feature, AI Tab Organizer, which Apple copied to Safari.
Anyway, Edge is a good browser, and youâll get to use it without needing a separate Microsoft account just to get started.
Edge already lets you bring your Google data over
Edge has offered Google data import options for quite a while. As we reported back in 2022, Microsoft built a feature that continuously pulls bookmarks and passwords from Chrome into Edge, so switching browsers does not mean losing your saved data.
More recently, Edge has also offered a âYour Google data and services, now in Edgeâ prompt during setup, allowing users to import Gmail, Google Drive, YouTube, and more directly into the browser without ever touching Chrome again.
Microsoft Edge shows option to import data from Google
The upcoming Google account sign-in takes that a step further. Instead of just importing Chrome data, users can now anchor their Edge profile to a Google account, making the transition even more seamless for the hundreds of millions of Chrome users.
You could already create a Microsoft account with a Gmail address
There is a lesser-known detail that I feel is worth saying here. Microsoftâs account sign-in page already accepts Gmail addresses. If you type a Gmail ID into the Microsoft account sign-in field and follow the prompts, Microsoft creates a Microsoft account associated with that Gmail address. A Google account with a gmail.com domain becomes a Microsoft account!
Microsoft account with gmail ID
So, in a way, Microsoft has been quietly lowering the Gmail barrier for some time. The only issue was that people did not know about it, or they did not want to create an account of any kind. The upcoming Edge Google sign-in option neatly sidesteps both problems.
Microsoft is also rethinking the forced MSA sign-in during Windows 11 setup
Whatâs interesting is that Edge not being strict about a Microsoft account is part of a broader pattern. As we reported three months ago in March 2026, Microsoft is considering dropping the forced Microsoft account sign-in requirement during Windows 11 setup (OOBE).
Scott Hanselman says developers are working to remove requirement to login to MSA
Right now, setting up a fresh Windows 11 PC without a Microsoft account is almost impossible.
Forced to sign in during Windows 11 setup
Windows 11 OOBE had turned into an ad-cluttered slog, with Microsoft account prompts stacked on top of pitches for OneDrive and Copilot. Microsoft acknowledged that the setup needed to be faster and less intrusive. The move to loosen the MSA requirement fits squarely into that effort.
Of course, frustration with the forced Microsoft account in OOBE is not new. Back in November 2025, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney and Elon Musk both publicly pushed Microsoft to remove the MSA requirement from Windows 11. Fortunately for us, feedback has evidently made its way internally.
The irony of Microsoft opening the door for Google
Bing just crossed 1 billion monthly active users for the first time, as confirmed by CEO Satya Nadella during Microsoftâs Q3 earnings call. With Bing finally gaining footing, it is interesting to see Microsoft now enabling Google account sign-in in the same browser that had long been its vehicle for pushing people toward Microsoft services.
Microsoft has been faking Googleâs homepage on Bing, paid users to switch to Bing through Microsoft Rewards, and has been leaning on every Windows integration possible to keep users in the Microsoft ecosystem. And yet here we are, with Microsoft officially inviting Google account users into Edge. The Edge team probably views this less as a concession and more as a pragmatic move to get Chrome users into Edge first, let them discover the Microsoft ecosystem at their own pace.
Meanwhile, Microsoft is also giving users the option to remove Bing from Windows 11 Search, something we have been asking for years, and the feature is now hidden in latest Insider build.
Credit: Phantomofearth on X
Between loosening Bing in Search, softening the OOBE MSA requirement, and now allowing Google account sign-in in Edge, the software giant is showing a clear shift away from the aggressive lock-in tactics that defined the past few years of Windows, and this gives me hope in the future of the OS.
That said, whether this shift holds or whether it is a calculated goodwill play before the next round of Copilot integrations remains to be seen.
For now, Chrome users who have resisted Edge because of the Microsoft account wall will have one less reason to say no, and that is probably what Microsoft is counting on.
The post Microsoft is killing the Microsoft account lock-in across products, Windows 11 may be next appeared first on Windows Latest
The Hot Take: Snapdragon gets it's own windows. Makes me think they haven't converged code like Apple has with iOS/iPadOS/Mac OS.
Microsoft has finally confirmed what we reported in February 2026: Windows 11 26H2 is shipping this year, and itâs not a major release, as the company is trying to make Windows updates more predictable. It means this yearâs feature update will be similar to Windows 11 25H2 and install via an enablement package (eKB).
Windows 11 hasnât received a major feature update since 2024. Windows 11 24H2 was the last major update, and it was released on October 1, 2024. In 2025, Microsoft rolled out Windows 11 25H2, but it was based on the same underlying platform code as version 24H2, which means it doesnât come with additional features.
In fact, if you use Windows 11 25H2 or 24H2, you have access to the same set of features and improvements, including the monthly cumulative updates. But Windows 11 25H2 reset the OS life cycle, which means itâs supported for an additional year compared to version 24H2.
Windows 11 24H2âs support ends on October 13, 2026, while version 25H2 is supported until October 12, 2027.
Weâre going to see the same approach repeated in 2026. As Windows Latest previously exclusively reported in February 2026, Windows 11 26H2 references have already begun appearing in recent preview builds as an eKB (enablement package), a 200KB update that simply flips the OS version and build number.
Now, in new documentation, Microsoft has said Windows 11 26H2 is being prepared for a fall 2026 rollout, which I believe is October 2026.
âThe next annual update for Windows 11 is coming soonâŚ. continues our focus on delivering a predictable, low-disruption update experience for organizations and IT professionals,â Microsoft noted.
Microsoft usually prefers releasing feature updates in October, but in some cases, it could begin shipping as early as the last week of September or as late as the last week of October, with the majority getting the update during the holiday season.
If youâre already on Windows 11 24H2 or 25H2, this yearâs feature update wouldnât feel any different, and itâll install in less than 5 minutes. In fact, the size of enablement packages is typically under 500KB, so in most cases, youâll have your PC updated to Windows 11 26H2 in just 2 minutes.
Windows 11 26H2 requires a single reboot to finish installing, and it does not come with any visible differences.
How long is Windows 11 26H2 supported?
Windows 11 26H2 is supported until October 2028 for Home, Pro, Pro EDU, and Pro for Workstations editions.
In the case of enterprises, if you have Windows 11 Enterprise, Education, or IoT Enterprise, youâll continue to get updates until October 2029.
This is a standard update cycle where consumers get 24 months of support, while businesses get an extra year.
Windows 11 26H2 system requirements
If your device is already on Windows 11 24H2 or 25H2, youâll be upgraded to Windows 11 26H2 smoothly later this year. It does not come with any new hardware requirements. It still requires 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a 1GHz or faster 64-bit dual-core processor.
However, thereâs another update called Windows 11 26H1, which requires new silicon, such as Nvidia N1 (RTX Spark) and Snapdragon X2. But donât worry, youâre not really missing out on anything. Windows 11 26H1 is based on a new platform release, so itâs different from 24H2, 25H2, or 26H2, but it doesnât come with exclusive features.
In either case, thereâs nothing really new. Windows will be getting new features, but not via these annual updates. Instead, all the major changes will ship every month via cumulative updates. For example, an upcoming Patch Tuesday update will add support for a movable taskbar. A recent Windows update added support for Low Latency Profile, which is a major change.
These types of major changes were previously shipped with annual feature updates, but now theyâre bundled with monthly releases.
I asked Microsoft if thereâs any particular reason why itâs been skipping âmajorâ feature updates in favor of these minor enablement packages for the past two years, and it told me that itâs supposed to make it easier for customers, particularly enterprises.
As a follow-up, I asked if the trend would continue into 2027 with version 27H2, and Microsoft neither denied nor confirmed it.
The post Microsoft confirms Windows 11 26H2 for fall 2026 release, reveals supported PCs and other details appeared first on Windows Latest
The Hot Take: Now we know why M$ is trying to squeeze out every ounce of performance in Windows 11.....
Microsoft says youâll be able to run Windows 11âs local Language Model APIs on non-Copilot+ PCs as long as you meet the new hardware requirement: an RTX 30+ GPU with 6GB of VRAM. Itâs a major change, as it means Copilot+ PCsâ advantages are getting âthin,â and I wouldnât be surprised if Microsoft drops the NPU requirement entirely in the future.
Copilot+ PCs officially debuted on June 18, 2024, and theyâve been driving sales for PC makers. However, itâs not because of the âCopilotâ or âNPUâ factor. Itâs largely because newer PCs are now sold as âCopilot+ PCs,â so even a regular laptop purchase gets counted as proof that AI PCs are taking off.
For a PC to meet the âCopilot+ PCâ requirement, it would need to have 16GB of RAM, an SSD, and at least a 40 TOPS NPU. For those unaware, an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) is a chip designed to run AI models, specializing in efficiency rather than raw power. On the other hand, a GPU is a heavy-duty processor designed for massive parallel tasks.
What is a âCopilot+ PC?â
Microsoft sold you Copilot+ PCs as the only way to run local AI, but that was neverâŚ
The Hot Take: Well look at that, it's very interesting that Microsoft is suddenly knocking out all these windows 11 issues. Kinda like they're afraid Linux will take their user base.
The Windows 11 June 2026 Patch Tuesday update, KB5094126 brings Low Latency Profile, Shared Audio, Multi-App Camera, and a handful of other noteworthy changes. Buried deeper in the changelog, without much fanfare, are two improvements to the Microsoft Store, one addressing a long-standing download speed problem and another fixing a frustrating gap in error reporting for managed devices.
Neither of these fixes will generate hype the way the CPU boost feature does. But for anyone who has watched a 500MB app update crawl through the Store for twenty minutes while the same file would download in under two minutes through a browser, at least one of them will feel this improvement was overdue.
This feature is being rolled out gradually, and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks.
Microsoft Store downloads were throttled for years, and the June update fixes it
For a significant portion of Windows 11 users, downloading apps and updates from the Microsoft Store has been noticeably slower than downloading the same files from almost any other source.
The Store would throttle to a fraction of the available connection speed, pause mid-download for no apparent reason, and occasionally get stuck in a pending stateâŚ
The Hot Take: What about that small file handling, any better on that yet?
Microsoft admitted that File Explorer on Windows 11 is slower than the previous version and is taking steps to make it faster, but the performance improvements extend beyond just UI surfaces. Iâm told that Microsoft is internally testing a major performance boost for file operations, starting with batch deleting files.
When you select dozens or hundreds of smaller files, or a few large files, and delete them all in one go, the speed depends on both the SSD/HDD and Windows.
Windows file system overhead matters as well because the OS has to update NTFS entries, permissions, indexes, thumbnails, metadata, and a bunch of other items when you delete or bulk delete files.
Of course, Iâm not saying a faster Windows alone can magically purge files faster. Hardware still matters, especially the SSDâs random I/O speed when youâre dealing with many small files. But itâs also wrong to say the speed only comes down to SSD I/O. If Windows handles file operations more efficiently, bulk delete can still get noticeably faster.
Microsoft also confirmed that a combination of hardware and software advancements could help make file operations faster on all PCs.
According to Microsoft, bulk deleteâŚ
The Hot Take: OH look at that, suddenly we're getting more performance out of windows. Like they were handy capping it or something to push lets say something like mid-range hardware of the ARM variety....
Microsoft recently released Windows 11 KB5089573 (Build 26200.8524) optional update, and buried inside the lengthy release notes is a major performance upgrade. While the company simply calls it a â[General Performance]â improvement, we know this is the highly anticipated CPU boost feature internally codenamed âLow Latency Profile.â
According to the official changelog released on May 26, 2026, Microsoft notes: â[General Performance] This update accelerates app launch and core shell experiences such as Start menu, Search, and Action Center.â
We already reported that Windows 11 Low Latency Mode is rolling out in June 2026 with the mandatory security update. But as we said, the CPU boost feature will be available in the optional May update as well, so if youâre eager enough to enable it, go to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates and just select the update to install it.
However, due to Microsoftâs Controlled Feature Rollout (CFR) strategy, the new performance boost may not be activated straightaway even after you install the Windows 11 KB5089573 optional update. Your PC has definitely downloaded the underlying code, but Microsoft often keeps the activation switch turned off for a subset of users to monitor stability.
Fortunately, you do not have to wait for Microsoft to flip the switch remotely. You can manually force the feature on right now using a popular third-party utility called ViveTool.
Note: The Low Latency Profile currently only makes OS flyouts, such as the Start menu, Notification Center, right-click menu, and other areas, load faster. It does not allow your apps to launch faster. That change will roll out in the next update.
How to enable Low Latency Profile in Windows 11
Before you proceed, you need to be sure you have already installed the May optional update.
To verify if the May 2026 optional update is installed, open Settings > System > About, and check the build number. If itâs Build 26200.8524 / 26100.8524 or newer, youâre eligible for Low Latency Profile improvements. Also, the Low Latency Profile does not require any special hardware, but itâs more impactful on budget/low-end PCs.
Now, follow these steps to activate Windows 11âs CPU boost feature:
Get ViveTool by going to the official ViveTool GitHub repository and downloading the latest .zip release.
Extract the contents to a convenient folder. For ease of use, I created a folder called ViveTool directly on my C drive and extracted the files there.
Click the Start menu, type âcmdâ, right-click on Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
Type cd C:\ViveTool and press Enter.
Type the following command to activate the feature and press Enter:
vivetool /enable /id:58989092
Restart your PC to apply the changes.
Note: The command uses /enable to turn the feature on. If you ever want to revert the changes, you can repeat the process using /disable instead. This only works for now, and once the feature officially becomes default on your device, you wonât be able to turn it off.
Ideally, we shouldnât have to enable features manually. Since Microsoft already has a vibrant Insider community, all testing should occur earlier, and deployment should begin now. Many users have complained that they still havenât received features rolled out in the April 2026 updates. And since Low Latency Profile is, by definition, just a CPU boost, it should have already arrived by now.
How do you verify if the Low Latency Profile is working?
Windows 11 does not include a toggle to enable or disable the Low Latency Profile. Instead, the feature is enabled by default on all PCs once it rolls out with the May 2026 Update, or if you enable it using the bypass method mentioned above.
As a result, the only way to verify that itâs working is by comparing performance before and after the feature is enabled. Check if the Start menu, Action Center, and Search load faster than before.
We canât rule out a placebo either, so you can also try checking CPU usage before and after Low Latency Profile is enabled:
No CPU boost before Low Latency Profile is enabled:
https://www.windowslatest.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Low-Latency-Profile-CPU-boost-feature-is-disabled.mp4
On the top right side of the screen recording, you can see that the CPU has not reached peak utilization while opening the Start menu or Action Center. I have checked it multiple times to be sure.
After enabling Low Latency Profile using the bypass method given above, I opened the Start menu and Action Center:
CPU utilization peaks while opening the Start menu after Low Latency Profile is enabled:
https://www.windowslatest.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/CPU-jumps-to-100-while-opening-Start-menu-after-enabling-Low-Latency-Profile.mp4
Â
As you can see on the top right side, CPU utilization jumps to 100% in the P cores on my Intel Core i5 13420H, and then falls to normal levels in a second or two, which essentially confirms the presence of Low Latency Profile.
CPU reaches 100% while opening the Action Center after Low Latency Profile is enabled:
https://www.windowslatest.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/CPU-Boost-while-using-Action-centre-after-enabling-Low-Latency-Profile.mp4
Here, too, you can see that the CPU utilization reaches 100% while opening the Action Center and then falls to normal levels almost immediately.
I have done these tests several times, and after seeing the CPU boost for the Start menu and Action Center only after enabling the feature, it is clear that my system has Low Latency Profile enabled.
Microsoft mentioned General Performance improvements to only the Start menu, Action Center, and Windows Search, so as of now, there is no speed boost while opening inbox apps or third-party apps.
Hands-on: UI smoothness over raw speed (for now)
I previously tested Low Latency Profile in a highly constrained environment, and the CPU Boost feature worked well enough that I felt it could make budget PCs usable. It was a dual-core virtual machine limited to 4GB of RAM. But even then, some actions felt surprisingly responsive because the OS was no longer waiting for the CPU to slowly ramp up to the required speeds.
Before enabling Low Latency Profile CPU boost:
https://www.windowslatest.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Before-Low-Latency-Profile-in-Windows-11.mp4
Yes, you have to be eagle-eyed enough to see the micro-strutters and occasional jitters. But itâs safe to say that most people have first-hand experience with the stuttery Start menu!
But now, after running before-and-after screen recordings on a regular, full-powered daily-driver PC with this new May optional update, the results are slightly different, but I like it.
After enabling Low Latency Profile CPU boost:
https://www.windowslatest.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/After-Low-Latency-Profile-in-Windows-11.mp4
The changes may look minute in the screen-recording, but it is definitely noticeable in the real world.
Opening the Start menu is less choppy than before. The Action Center glides onto the screen smoothly, and the notorious rendering delay when bringing up the right-click context menu looks to be significantly reduced. As the official release notes specifically highlight âcore shell experiences,â it appears the Low Latency Profile is currently prioritizing OS fluidity over speeding up inbox or third-party app launches.
Either way, since my regular PC wasnât slow in the first place, it now feels more premium because of the extra smoothness. Also, I didnât notice any heating or battery drain during my testing.
The needless controversy behind Windows 11âs CPU boost
When news of this CPU-spiking feature first broke, several users on social media heavily criticized Microsoft, claiming that artificially boosting the processor was a âlazy fixâ to cover up poorly optimized code.
Microsoft Copilot reaches 97% CPU
However, Microsoft stepped in to clarify the engineering behind it, and we agree. Scott Hanselman defended the technology by explaining the concept of âRace to Sleep.â By instantly spiking the CPU to its maximum frequency for a brief 1 to 3 seconds during a UI interaction, the processor completes the heavy lifting in a fraction of the time, allowing it to return to its low-power idle state much faster.
Hanselman pointed out that Apple uses similar hardware-level scheduling tricks on macOS to make the operating system feel buttery smooth.
Because of this initial public backlash, it makes sense that Microsoft chose to quietly label the feature as âGeneral Performanceâ in the changelog rather than explicitly announcing the âLow Latency Profileâ by its internal codename or sharing specific speed improvement metrics.
Whatâs next for Windows 11 performance improvements?
Windows 11 desktop still hasnât quite reached the flawless 120fps smoothness of modern-day smartphones. This update is a massive step in the right direction. And most importantly, this CPU boost is just one half of a much larger strategy.
As Microsoft commits to native UI for Windows 11, the company is replacing heavy web frameworks with lightweight native code, including in the Start menu. So, when you combine native optimizations with the immediate power delivery of Low Latency Profile, pretty soon, Windows 11 will feel as fast and premium as we expect.
The post Microsoftâs Windows 11 CPU boost is rolling out, and hereâs how to enable it right now appeared first on Windows Latest
The Hot Take: Been saying it for years, Microsoft is pulling Linux into windows on bite at a time. This probably I would assume only accelerates.
Microsoft is turning Azure Linux into a general-purpose, Fedora-based cloud distribution available to all Azure customers, while also productizing Flatcar as Azure Container Linux for immutable container hosts. "When Microsoft joined the Linux Foundation, there was this big conspiracy theory that somehow the Linux Foundation was undermining open source in partnership with Microsoft, and now you announce that you're shipping a Linux distribution," Jim Zemlin, the Linux Foundation's CEO, said in response to Microsoft's surprise announcement. "That's amazing." ZDNet reports: Until now, [Lachlan Everson, Microsoft's Principal Program Manager on Azure's open-source team] noted, "we had Azure Linux only available to third-party customers through AKS specifically, and that was Azure Linux 3.0." Going forward, this will be ACL. Everson emphasized that Azure Linux 4.0 is the culmination of years of internal usage and the evolution of the earlier Mariner distribution. "So we've been running Azure Linux for many years internally, and we got through to 3.0, and we only allowed it on as a container host on AKS. What we've done is make it a general-purpose, so this is all the learnings that we've had in the heritage of Mariner."
Under the hood, Azure Linux 4.0 is based on Fedora Linux and is delivered as an open distribution on GitHub. This code is available now. Yes, Red Hat knows that Microsoft has done this. Everson continued, "So, we made a decision to use Fedora as an upstream, so it's using RPMs in the Fedora ecosystem. Microsoft curates the packages and the supply chain to fit Azure's cloud platform." Microsoft also created "it to be purpose-built for Azure, which integrates vertically into all of our infrastructure to give you the best Azure Linux experience on Azure." While Azure Linux will ship as a VM image, Microsoft is already preparing a developer-friendly path onto Windows desktops: "And as of today, we have it as a VM image for your VM host on Azure. We're going to announce WSL images as well."
While developers will be able to run Azure Linux locally through WSL, Microsoft is not positioning it as a traditional desktop Linux. Asked whether he could run it on his laptop, Everson said: "I will be able to run it on my laptop, or what have you. Yes, on Windows 11." However, when pressed about a desktop experience, Everson was clear that there are "no plans" for a graphical environment. "It's optimized for server-side in the cloud," he said, adding that even on a developer machine, users should expect a lean environment. "Minimal packages, yeah. The idea is that we offer you a consistent experience to do your development on your machine, and that you can take your workloads as you develop them on your machine and run them with VS Code. You can run your applications on that, and know that the platform is the same that you're running on the cloud, so that you have that kind of consistency between environments."
Flatcar itself remains the upstream project, but Microsoft is packaging it for Azure customers. Everson described Flatcar as "purpose-built, immutable, secure by default, production-ready operating system, and Azure Container Linux is the productization of that, but we're still investing in the upstream Flatcar ecosystem and pulling that downstream into a productized exterior experience just for container workloads, so it's a container hosting in AKS." To underscore the immutable model, he added that "Everything's baked in, so there is no package manager. We bake the bits into the immutable, and they're in the immutable version. So Azure Container Linux is the immutable version. So you shouldn't be changing any system packages or any application packages. Anything that you need to change is customer workloads run in containers."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The Hot Take: SMS/TXT is going to cause some pain for sure.
For years, typing in a six-digit code sent to your phone has been the universal standard for verifying your identity online. But that era is officially coming to an end in the Windows ecosystem.
In a statement to Windows Latest, Microsoft independently confirmed that itâll stop sending SMS codes for personal accounts.
Now, first spotted by Windows Latest, Microsoft has officially announced that it is pulling the plug on SMS codes for personal accounts. According to a support document quietly published earlier this year, the company is actively phasing out text messages as a method for both two-factor authentication and account recovery.
While the tech giant subtly hinted at this shift in a previous security advisory earlier this year, stating it was âcommitted to advancing security standards,â the newly released documentation explicitly confirms the end of SMS verification.
Moving forward, Microsoft is forcing a transition to passwordless alternatives, mandating the use of passkeys, authenticator apps, and verified secondary email addresses.
Why Microsoft is abandoning SMS authentication
Redmondâs decision to kill off SMS verification comes down to the undeniable fact that text messages are no longer a secure way to protect your digital identity.
In their official advisory, Microsoft states that âSMS-based authentication is now a leading source of fraud.â
âMicrosoft is committed to advancing security standards, and as such, we will start phasing out SMS as a method of authentication and account recovery for personal Microsoft accounts,â Microsoft noted in an advisory spotted by Windows Latest. âMicrosoft believes that the future of authentication is passwordless, secure, and user-friendly.â
Text messages were never designed with modern cybersecurity in mind. They are transmitted in plain text across vulnerable cellular networks, making them highly susceptible to interception.
Furthermore, hackers frequently use SIM-swap attacks, a tactic where a malicious actor tricks your mobile carrier into transferring your phone number to a device they control. Once the transfer is complete, the hacker instantly receives all of your SMS two-factor authentication codes, allowing them to easily hijack your accounts.
To combat this, Microsoft believes the future of account security is entirely passwordless. The company is replacing SMS with passkeys, which are a modern, phishing-resistant security standard.
Unlike traditional passwords or text codes that can be intercepted, passkeys use your deviceâs built-in biometric hardware.
When you sign in using a passkey, you authenticate your identity using Windows Hello facial recognition, a fingerprint scanner, or a localized device PIN. This creates a cryptographic key pair where the private key never leaves your physical hardware, rendering remote phishing attacks virtually impossible.
Depending on your setup, passkeys can be device-bound, meaning the private key never leaves the physical hardware (like your laptopâs TPM chip), or they can be synced across your devices via services like Apple iCloud Keychain or Google Password Manager. This cross-device compatibility ensures that if you lose your phone, your verified email and synced passkeys will still allow you to recover your account safely.
The problem of a forced passwordless transition
On paper, eliminating vulnerable SMS codes in favor of biometric passkeys is an objective win for global cybersecurity. In my daily workflow, the passwordless ecosystem is genuinely fantastic. I use Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Password Manager, and the Microsoft Authenticator app across all my devices. Thanks to the IR camera on my Lenovo laptop, Windows Hello face recognition makes logging into my personal Microsoft account a breeze.
However, Microsoftâs forced transition may cause significant headaches for power users.
As a Windows Insider, I constantly spin up, configure, and manage new virtual machines (VMs) to test software builds.
When I attempt to log into my Microsoft account within these isolated, nested environments, the passkey experience falls apart. Biometric hardware wonât be available on a VM, for obvious reasons, and I do not have access to security keys either. When trying to log in with passkeys via PIN, Iâm always shown an error.
In these highly technical, edge-case scenarios, requesting an SMS code was the ultimate, foolproof fallback. It just worked.
Passwords and SMS codes are ubiquitous. Typing in a six-digit text code is an instinctive, habitual behavior for billions of people. To successfully change a deeply ingrained habit, the replacement technology must be utterly flawless across every conceivable scenario.
Microsoft could drop the forced Microsoft account sign-in during Windows 11 setup; now thatâs one less place where youâll need to sign in!.
Either way, Microsoft will soon begin prompting all personal account holders with a âSign in faster with your face, fingerprint, or PINâ screen, urging them to set up a passkey and verify a backup email address. While losing the convenience of SMS codes may be a bitter pill to swallow for some, it is a necessary step to secure Windows 11 against modern threats.
The post Microsoft is killing SMS codes for Microsoft account sign-in, aggressively pushes passkeys on Windows 11 appeared first on Windows Latest