I’ll bet you already have a Microsoft account, and you can take advantage of going passwordless too. But first, why would you want to do that? Aside from being easy to forget, people often reuse their familiar passwords across multiple sites, which means if your password is hacked all of those accounts are vulnerable. And passwordless options are more effective for you. Microsoft maintains that using passkeys results in a 98% success rate when signing in. Compare that to just 32% for those using passwords, and you can see why making this change is a good idea.

Microsoft has made it possible to switch over to passwordless sign-in at any time. Go to your account settings, find the security option and follow the prompts to remove your password and set up one of the newer methods instead. Let’s take a look at the options.

Starting with the digital passkey, which is a credential made up of two parts: a private key that stays safely on your device, and a public key that’s stored by the service you’re logging into. When you want to sign in, your device proves it has the private key — usually by having you unlock it with your fingerprint, face or a PIN — but the private key itself never leaves your device or gets sent over the internet. This makes passkeys extremely resistant to phishing and hacking.

There are two main ways to use passkeys with your Microsoft account. First, there’s the Microsoft Authenticator app. This is a free app for your smartphone that can generate and store passkeys. When you want to sign in on your PC, you’ll get a notification on your phone, and you simply unlock the app with your fingerprint, face or phone PIN. The app then proves to Microsoft that you have the right passkey, and you’re in — no password required.

The second option is Windows Hello, which is built into Windows 10 and 11. With Windows Hello, your computer itself becomes the passkey manager. You can use your device’s fingerprint reader, camera for facial recognition or a PIN to unlock your passkey and sign in. Everything happens right on your computer, eliminating the need to sync with your phone, and your private key never leaves your computer.

Alternately, you can use a physical security key, which is a passkey device. A YubiKey or similar product can be plugged into your computer’s USB port or connected via Bluetooth or NFC (the technology used for contactless payment using your phone). The security key stores your passkey and requires you to physically tap or insert it to log in. This method is extremely secure because a hacker would need to have the actual device in hand to access your account. It’s a great choice for anyone who wants the highest level of protection, though it could be less convenient for everyday use.

Microsoft still allows you to use SMS codes as a backup way to sign in, but this method isn’t considered a passkey. SMS is less secure because text messages can be intercepted or your phone number could be hijacked. While it’s better than nothing, it’s not recommended as your primary sign-in method.

If you’re looking for the easiest and most seamless experience, Windows Hello is probably the best choice since you don’t have to use a new app on your phone to make it work. Whichever passkey method you choose — digital or physical — it will take some getting used to, but first you have to get rid of that password.

Start by logging into your Microsoft account and going to the security settings. From there, you can remove your password and set up one of the passwordless options. It might ask you to register a passkey or enable Windows Hello on your device. If you haven’t tried the Microsoft Authenticator app yet, now’s a good time to download it and link it to your account. You can try as many as you’d like and then choose the one that fits your needs best.

After a period of learning the new method, you will see the benefits. Foregoing passwords means you are removing the weakest link in protecting your online identity. By using passwordless sign-in methods, you’re making it much harder for hackers to get in. Plus, you’ll spend less time fumbling with forgotten passwords and more time getting things done.

Leslie Meredith has been writing about technology for more than a decade. As a mom of four, value, usefulness and online safety take priority. Have a question? Email Leslie at asklesliemeredith@gmail.com.