Microsoft Announces Collaboration with Bitwarden to Support Passkey Storage and Usage in Windows 11

In recent years, Microsoft and others in the tech industry have been promoting a shift from traditional password-based logins to password-less authentication methods. The primary advantage of eliminating passwords is enhanced security, as it removes the risk of password leaks from data breaches.

There are several approaches to adopting password-less logins, with the industry moving towards the use of Passkeys. Microsoft has primarily utilized Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) with tap-to-confirm via the Microsoft Authenticator app.

Microsoft accounts can also be configured to use Passkeys for login. To encourage the adoption of password-less logins across other websites, Windows 11 supports the creation and storage of Passkeys (requires version 22H2 or later).

Microsoft announced today that to further expand the use of Passkeys on Windows devices and services, it will collaborate with password manager developers, including Bitwarden and 1Password, to enable cross-device synchronization of Passkeys.

Currently, Passkeys created on Windows 11 do not support cross-platform or cloud synchronization, and Microsoft does not seem to plan to add cross-platform synchronization of Passkeys to the Microsoft Authenticator. However, collaboration with third parties could address this issue.

Microsoft will introduce a new set of API services in Windows 11, allowing users to seamlessly access Passkeys saved in their password manager, meaning Passkeys created on mobile devices or other platforms can also be synchronized and used on Windows 11.

While not explicitly mentioned, Landian.news speculates that keys created and saved on Windows 11 may also be synchronized through password managers in the future, aligning with Microsoft's goal to enhance the security of Passkey-based logins.

This functionality will enable users to utilize Passkeys more effectively in non-browser scenarios, as password managers already offer browser extensions making Passkey usage convenient within web browsers.

Lastly, Microsoft is also addressing the synchronization of Passkeys created in Windows 11, planning to introduce Windows 11 Passkey synchronization based on the Microsoft account ecosystem, allowing users to seamlessly use existing Passkeys across different Windows 11 devices without relying on third-party password managers.