Windows 11 will soon lose a way to log in to a PC. A recent update removes the option to set up a new picture password. If you already have a picture password on your PC, you can continue to use it, but the feature is being phased out.
Microsoft is on a mission to push the world beyond passwords. The tech giant generally recommends a PIN, facial recognition, or a fingerprint to log in to Windows 11. Passkeys are often the top recommendation for authentication, though you cannot log in to a Windows 11 PC with a passkey. But back in the days of Windows 8, Microsoft introduced the option to unlock your PC using a picture.
That feature, which has remained available across Windows 10 and Windows 11, allows you to unlock your PC with a series of touches or gestures, like tapping the eyes of a smiley face then swiping across the face's mouth.
You could use a combination of three types of gestures as part of a picture password: circles, straight lines, or taps.
Picture passwords were a fun way to show off the touch-centric nature of Windows 8, but they aren't as secure as a passkey or even a strong password.
Since people often pick gestures or taps around key objects, hackers can sometimes guess the gestures needed to unlock a PC. People can look at the smudges on your screen to guess where you touch frequently.
A research paper from 2013 that was flagged by Neowin highlights the risks of picture passwords.
If you have a picture password set up now and want to continue to use it, you need to make sure to leave it set up. Once you remove it or disable it, you will not be able to set up a picture password.
Microsoft shared the following in a support document:
"To help enhance security, picture password is no longer available for new enrollment. Users who have already configured a picture password can continue to use it to sign in to Windows. If a picture password is removed, disabled, or not previously configured, it cannot be set up again. We recommend using Windows Hello PIN, facial recognition, or fingerprint recognition where available."
That change arrives alongside the July 2026 security update, which is now rolling out to Windows 11.
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