Windows 11 now lets you use 1Password and Bitwarden for managing passkeys

[harlan4096]

Microsoft has announced that Windows 11 now has native support for passkey managers. It has partnered with 1Password and Bitwarden to make it easier for users to manage the passwordless authentication method.

Microsoft had begun testing support for 1Password as a passkey provider a few months ago in the Windows Insider Preview Program. This feature is now available for all users.

Windows 11 supports passkeys natively via Windows Hello, so what's this new feature about? Microsoft worked with third-party password managers to create a passkey plugin API for Windows 11. But, why do you need to use these third-party tools? Well, it gives users a choice, they can opt to save passkeys in their favorite password manager, and sync the passkeys across their devices.

To manage your passkeys via 1Password or Bitwarden, you will need to install their respective desktop tools.

1Password says its users can access passkey management from the latest version of the desktop app, by heading to Settings > Autofill and toggle the option that says Show passkey suggestions. This will open Windows' Settings app where you can choose 1Password as the system authenticator.

 
(Image courtesy: 1Password)

Bitwarden's announcement says that users will need to install the latest beta from GitHub to try the feature. You can download it from this page. It requires Windows OS build 26200.7019 or newer. Go to Windows' Settings > Accounts > Passkeys > Advanced options. Here you will be able to select the default passkey manager, choose Bitwarden, and it will prompt you to authenticate with Windows Hello.


(Image courtesy: Bitwarden)

Now you will be able to create passkeys for websites and store it in your password manager, and use it to log in to your accounts in browsers, and other apps. I tested the beta version of Bitwarden briefly in my Windows VM, and it seems to work fine.

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