Microsoft will add ‘login with SMS code’ options on all Windows 10 versions

Microsoft announced all Windows 10 versions will get the option to set up and sign in to the operating systems through SMS / text messages. By using this option, you can login without using a password anymore. The company has been trying for some time to get rid of passwords in Windows 10.

The feature is enabled in the Windows Insiders version, today we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18309 (19H1) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring.

-- Microsoft -- 

Signing in to Windows with password-less Microsoft accounts on all Windows 10 editions

We’re pushing forward on eliminating passwords and keeping your accounts safe with another cool feature. With Build 18305, we announced support for setting up and signing in to Windows 10 with a phone number account, without having to create, or deal with the hassle of a password for Insiders using the Windows 10 Home edition. Today, that support is extending to all Windows 10 editions!

If you have a Microsoft account with your phone number, you can use an SMS code to sign inwithout and set up your account on Windows 10. Once you’ve setup your account, you can use Windows Hello Face, Fingerprint, or a PIN (depending on your device capabilities) to sign in to Windows 10. No password needed anywhere!

Creating a password-less phone number account

If you don’t already have a password-less phone number account, you can create one in a mobile app like Word on your iOS or Android device to try it out. Simply go to Word and sign up with your phone number by entering your phone number under “Sign in or sign up for free”.

Add your password-less phone number account to Windows 

Now that you’ve created a password-less phone number account, you can use it to sign in to Windows with the following steps:

1. Add your account to Windows from Settings > Accounts > Family & other Users > “Add someone else to this PC”.
2. Lock your device and select your phone number account from the Windows sign-in screen.
3. Since your account doesn’t have a password, select ‘Sign in options’, click the alternative ‘PIN’ tile, and click ‘Sign in’.
4. Go through web sign in and Windows Hello set up (this is what you’ll use to sign in to your account on subsequent sign ins)

You can now enjoy the benefits of signing in to Windows with your password-less phone number account.