Microsoft Phases Out Password Autofill in Authenticator App, Urges Move to Passkeys for Stronger Security

Microsoft is ushering in major changes to how users secure their accounts, declaring that “the password era is ending” and warning that “bad actors know it” and are “desperately accelerating password-related attacks while they still can.”

These updates, rolling out immediately, impact the Microsoft Authenticator app. Previously, the app let users securely store and autofill passwords on apps and websites you visit on your phone. However, starting this month, “you will not be able to use autofill with Authenticator.”

A more significant shift is just weeks away. “From August,” Microsoft cautions, “your saved passwords will no longer be accessible in Authenticator.” Users have until August 2025 to transfer their stored passwords elsewhere, or risk losing access altogether. As the company emphasized, “any generated passwords not saved will be deleted.”

These moves are part of Microsoft’s broader initiative to phase out traditional passwords in favor of passkeys. The tech giant, alongside Google and other industry leaders, points out that passwords represent a major security vulnerability. Despite common safeguards like two-factor authentication (2FA), account credentials can still be intercepted or compromised.

Passkeys, by c

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