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Office outlook won’t accept email password now it’s asking for a passkey

Sam Denyer 0 Reputation points
2026-01-10T11:52:20.3833333+00:00

All of a sudden we can’t get into our Hotmail accounts on laptop with account passwords it’s saying we have to use a passkey which we don’t have, why can’t we use passwords

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Account management, security, and privacy

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  1. Steven Dunn 95 Reputation points
    2026-02-07T07:24:03.7666667+00:00

    This keeps occurring when I try to sign in with a password. I just cancel the "passkey" set up which often occurs without my prompting. The problem, Microsoft (if anyone other than their AI bots are actually reading this), is that some of us do not choose to use a smartphone to get QR codes or purchase a token to access our personal email accounts. Do not assume. My understanding is that Microsoft plans to stop sending codes via text message. Why? That method works well for authenticating and I can access a text message code with my flip phone. If Microsoft really wants to change how we log in, they should be more upfront about methods and create more user-friendly alternatives and explain it clearly. This seems like a cryptic way of pressuring people to use a different log-in method without being upfront. There is something called Windows Hello (?) that evidently uses a pin tied to a particular device, like a laptop, but I am unclear on the set up.

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  2. John Jefferson Doyon 73,225 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-01-10T12:25:48.1966667+00:00

    Hi, I'm John! I will help you with this.

    You're not alone, many users are currently experiencing the same issue with Outlook. It appears to be a widespread connectivity problem.

    You can check the official service status here: https://portal.office.com/servicestatus/

    For now, please wait until Microsoft resolves the issue and try again later.

    I really hope this information is helpful!

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  3. AI answer

    2026-01-10T11:52:27.68+00:00

    It seems that your Outlook is prompting for a passkey instead of a password, which can happen if your account has been set up to use passwordless authentication methods. Microsoft has been transitioning to more secure sign-in methods, such as passkeys, which are part of the FIDO2 standard. If you do not have a passkey set up, you may need to revert to using a password or register a new passkey.

    Here are some steps you can take:

    1. Check Sign-in Options: When prompted, select Other ways to sign in and see if you can choose to sign in with a password instead.
    2. Passkey Registration: If you want to use a passkey, you will need to register one. You can do this through your account security settings.
    3. Known Issues: If you encounter issues with orphaned passkeys (passkeys that are no longer registered), you may need to remove them from your device and re-register a new one.

    If you continue to face problems, consider checking the settings in your Outlook or contacting Microsoft support for further assistance.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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