Microsoft is moving towards a passwordless operational environment, and as part of this transition, they are testing passkey support with Windows 11. The company is enhancing its WebAuthn APIs to accommodate third-party providers.
Windows 11 Set to Introduce Passkey Support
In a recent post, Microsoft announced several significant upgrades coming to Windows 11 stable releases, including the introduction of passkey support for third-party authentication services.
Users will now be able to secure their logins with third-party passkey services in addition to the Windows passkey. This integration allows users to connect these services with Windows Hello for login verifications.
To facilitate this feature, Microsoft has developed a plugin authentication model for passkeys and upgraded the WebAuthn APIs for plugin authenticators.
According to the post, “Messages in WebAuthn flows will be forwarded to the plugin and responses are returned to the WebAuthn client applications. This enables plugins to create and authenticate with passkeys when requested by the customer.”
This upgrade empowers Windows 11 users to enjoy a secure passwordless login experience. Microsoft has already collaborated with services like 1Password and Bitwarden to support its customers, as previously announced.
Enhanced Resume Editing Support on OneDrive
Microsoft is also testing a new feature with the Windows Insider build that allows users to resume editing OneDrive files across devices seamlessly.
Previously, syncing OneDrive files across devices was possible, but resuming file editing state when switching devices was challenging. With this upgrade, users can now continue editing files without interruptions when moving between devices.
This feature mirrors the “pick up where you left off” functionality in Microsoft Office products, making it convenient for users to resume editing. Users simply need to stay logged in to their OneDrive accounts on their Windows 11 device and sign in to the same account on a different device to utilize this feature. It is essential to enable this feature when the PC is locked, and upon unlocking, the user will receive a prompt to resume editing on the second device.
This enhancement applies to major Office file formats such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and PDFs.
Microsoft has introduced these updates with the latest Windows 11 Insider Build 22635.4515, allowing users in the Beta Channel to experience these new features.
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