The News, Explained

On November 6, Microsoft announced that a Windows 11 preview lets you enter a PIN before face or fingerprint recognition finishes. Windows Hello is the Windows feature for signing in or unlocking a PC with a face scan, fingerprint or PIN. Face recognition needs a compatible camera, and fingerprint recognition needs a reader. The PIN is the sign-in code you set on that PC, separate from your Microsoft account password. Source Source Source Source

Imagine waking your PC and finding that the camera is taking a moment to recognize your face. On a PC that has received this change, you can type your PIN right away while the scan runs. In some cases, such as just after a restart, you still have to sign in with the PIN first. Microsoft says face and fingerprint recognition work as usual after that. Source Source

The change is rolling out gradually in build 26340.9882 in the Windows Insider Experimental channel. Windows Insider is the program for trying features before release, and the channel determines which preview updates a participant gets. People on the same build may get the change at different times. Microsoft has given no date for the general Windows 11 release of this feature. Source Source

The same preview also adds records for administrators. In Event Viewer, the Windows tool for viewing system records, security event 4628 shows which sign-in methods were configured and which one was used. Event 4629 records failed Windows Hello sign-ins. Both use the existing Audit Logon policy. For troubleshooting, events 5010 and 7010 in the separate operational log record sign-ins, unlocks and their outcomes. Adding those records does not change the sign-in screen itself. Source

OYOPICK’s Take

On a normal day, being able to switch methods immediately is useful when a sensor is slow to respond. The choice changes after a restart, so the screen should explain why Windows needs the PIN first in that situation. Making it clear when to retry a scan and when to type the PIN would help people get the benefit of the new flow. Source Source