How to Set Up and Use Windows Hello

There’s a good chance that your sign-in method is a password on your Windows 10 computer. The problem with passwords is that you are using an easy-to-break method. If you have a complicated one, you probably forget it often.

If you’re tired of having to reset your password, then you should give Windows Hello a try. It’s a biometric authentication feature that you can use to sign in by using your fingerprint or face. Thanks to this sign-in method, signing in is going to be easier.

How to Set Up Windows Hello

You will need to make sure that you have the required hardware. Your Windows 10 computer will need to have a 3D depth camera.

Setting up Windows Hello is easy, even if the Windows 10 computer has more than one user. All of the users that have an account will need to be with you when you set it up. You will need their fingerprint, and they will need to look into the camera so their face can be recorded as well.

Click on the Windows Start menu and click on the cog wheel to access Windows Settings. Select the “Accounts” option that should be to the left of your display and click on “Sign-In” options.

As soon as you enter that option, Windows Hello is going to be staring at you in the face. Choose Setup to configure Face Recognition. This next part is also easy since you only need to follow the Windows Hello setup wizard.

A Pin Will Be Needed

The configuration wizard steps include things such as looking at the camera and entering a password or pin. The pin is necessary so Windows knows it’s your face that you’re setting up.

Click on the “Add” button under the pin option and enter your pin. In other words, you’ll need to enter your password. Technology can sometimes fail us, so this is a good plan B to have. The fingerprint setup is a breeze since you only have to press your thumb on the fingerprint scanner so it can be registered.

Changing Your Appearance

Keep in mind that improved recognition can take as long as two minutes. Think twice about changing your appearance in any way since you’ll need to do the improved recognition again. You will need your pin for that, too. But if you ever get rid of that beard, you won’t need to enroll again since Windows Hello saves previous representations of you.

The default setting is to unlock your Windows 10 computer as soon as your face is recognized. It’s a good idea to leave that setting alone.

To improve security even more, you can choose the option that will require you to turn your head left and right to unlock your computer. In that case, a 3D shape of you will be taken so it can easily recognize you from other users.

What You Can Use Windows Hello For

Besides the obvious use of Windows Hello to unlock your computer, you can also use it to pay for apps in the Windows Store. This is a real time saver since you won’t have to type your password every time you want to buy something.

You can also use Windows Hello to unlock Windows Passport which is the next-generation credentials that will hopefully replace passwords for websites, online services, and other systems. Whenever you want to use Windows Passport, it will only need to check your face or your fingerprint.

Conclusion

Some might be a little reluctant to use Windows Hello because of everything it involves. But you have to admit that it makes signing in a whole lot easier. It’s useful and it’s very easy to set up. Do you think that you’ll give it a try? Share your thoughts in the comments.