⚠️ WARNING: This article is intended for participants in the MFA Modernization Pilot only. If you are not a pilot participant, the information in this article may not apply to you. Contact the
IT Service Desk if you have questions about your current sign-in experience.
This article walks you through adding a passkey to your University of Maine System (UMS) account using Windows Hello. A Windows Hello passkey is stored on your device and lets you sign in using your PIN, fingerprint, or face recognition.
ℹ️ INFO: Windows Hello passkeys are device-bound. They are tied to this specific computer and will not be available on other devices. We recommend also setting up a backup sign-in method on a different device, such as the Microsoft Authenticator app on your phone.
How would you like to complete this setup?
ICON KEY: 💻 = do this on your computer
Before you begin
- 💻 A Windows PC with Windows Hello configured
⚠️ WARNING: You will not be able to add the same UMS account that you use for Windows Hello for Business as a passkey in Windows Hello for Business. It will error out at the end of the process.
Registering your passkey
- 💻 On your Windows PC, open your browser and go to aka.ms/mysecurityinfo. Sign in if prompted.
- 💻 Under "Security info," click Add sign-in method.
- 💻 In the "Add a sign-in method" box, select Passkey, then click Add.
- 💻 In the "Sign in faster with your face, fingerprint, or PIN" dialog, click Next.
- 💻 In the "Save your passkey" box, click Continue.
- If you are using Google Chrome and are prompted to save the passkey to Google Password Manager instead of Windows Hello, select Save another way to switch to Windows Hello.
- 💻 In the "Enter your PIN" box, enter your Windows Hello PIN.
- 💻 In the "Let's name your passkey" box, enter a name for your passkey, for example "Work PC" or "Office laptop," then click Next.
- 💻 In the "Passkey created" confirmation box, click Done.
- 💻 You should now see Passkey (Device bound) listed under your sign-in methods.
You have successfully added a passkey as an MFA sign-in method for your UMS account. If this is the only sign-in method on your account, we recommend adding a second one on a different device before you finish. See the other articles in the How-To Guides collection for additional methods.
Use the interactive walkthrough below to follow along step by step.
If you run into an issue not covered here, see the MFA Troubleshooting knowledge base articles.
The IT Service Desk is available by phone, email, chat, and walk-up if additional support is needed.
If your computer is older and does not have a modern enough TPM, or Trusted Platform Module, chip, Windows may not be able to save the passkey to Windows Hello and will fall back to Microsoft Password Manager instead. If this happens, your passkey will still work, but it will not show as device-bound to Windows Hello.
Environment
- Applies to all University of Maine System (UMS) accounts
- Windows PC with Windows Hello configured
- Windows 10 or Windows 11