Windows Hello for Business Deployment Prerequisite Overview

This article lists the infrastructure requirements for the different deployment models for Windows Hello for Business.

Azure AD Cloud Only Deployment

  • Azure Active Directory
  • Azure AD Multifactor Authentication
  • Device management solution (Intune or supported third-party MDM), optional
  • Azure AD Premium subscription - optional, needed for automatic MDM enrollment when the device joins Azure Active Directory

Hybrid Deployments

The table shows the minimum requirements for each deployment. For key trust in a multi-domain/multi-forest deployment, the following requirements are applicable for each domain/forest that hosts Windows Hello for business components or is involved in the Kerberos referral process.

Requirement cloud Kerberos trust
Group Policy or Modern managed
Key trust
Group Policy or Modern managed
Certificate Trust
Mixed managed
Certificate Trust
Modern managed
Windows Version Any supported Windows client versions Any supported Windows client versions Any supported Windows client versions
Schema Version No specific Schema requirement Windows Server 2016 or later schema Windows Server 2016 or later schema Windows Server 2016 or later schema
Domain and Forest Functional Level Windows Server 2008 R2 Domain/Forest functional level Windows Server 2008 R2 Domain/Forest functional level Windows Server 2008 R2 Domain/Forest functional level Windows Server 2008 R2 Domain/Forest functional level
Domain Controller Version Any supported Windows Server versions Any supported Windows Server versions Any supported Windows Server versions Any supported Windows Server versions
Certificate Authority N/A Any supported Windows Server versions Any supported Windows Server versions Any supported Windows Server versions
AD FS Version N/A N/A Any supported Windows Server versions Any supported Windows Server versions
MFA Requirement Azure MFA, or
AD FS w/Azure MFA adapter, or
AD FS w/Azure MFA Server adapter, or
AD FS w/3rd Party MFA Adapter
Azure MFA tenant, or
AD FS w/Azure MFA adapter, or
AD FS w/Azure MFA Server adapter, or
AD FS w/3rd Party MFA Adapter
Azure MFA tenant, or
AD FS w/Azure MFA adapter, or
AD FS w/Azure MFA Server adapter, or
AD FS w/3rd Party MFA Adapter
Azure MFA tenant, or
AD FS w/Azure MFA adapter, or
AD FS w/Azure MFA Server adapter, or
AD FS w/3rd Party MFA Adapter
Azure AD Connect N/A Required Required Required
Azure AD License Azure AD Premium, optional Azure AD Premium, optional Azure AD Premium, needed for device write-back Azure AD Premium, optional. Intune license required

On-premises Deployments

The table shows the minimum requirements for each deployment.

Key trust
Group Policy managed
Certificate trust
Group Policy managed
Any supported Windows client versions Any supported Windows client versions
Windows Server 2016 Schema Windows Server 2016 Schema
Windows Server 2008 R2 Domain/Forest functional level Windows Server 2008 R2 Domain/Forest functional level
Any supported Windows Server versions Any supported Windows Server versions
Any supported Windows Server versions Any supported Windows Server versions
Any supported Windows Server versions Any supported Windows Server versions
AD FS with 3rd Party MFA Adapter AD FS with 3rd Party MFA Adapter