PASSWORDS will no longer be accessible from a popular mobile app in days as a handy feature is discontinued by Microsoft.
The password storage tool within the Microsoft Authenticator app is closing down.
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Users have already been blocked from adding new passwords in June.
Then in July the ability to autofill with Microsoft Authenticator was disabled.
But August marks the biggest change of all, with passwords no longer accessible at all in the app.
Microsoft hasn’t given an exact date but said “from August”, so it could end as soon as this week.
Read more about passwords
Passwords won’t be lost entirely, instead you’ll have to get them via Microsoft Edge.
However, the firm says “any generated passwords not saved will be deleted”.
An alert in the app currently warns: “To keep autofilling your info, please take action now.”
Despite the move, Microsoft Authenticator isn’t closing down.
It will still function as its main purpose for two-factor authentication and passkeys.
The decision comes as tech giants shift away from the aged password which are easily hacked, due to common mistakes like re-used passwords or easily guessed terms.
By comparison, passkeys can’t be guessed and they’re impossible to re-use too.
SHOULD I SWITCH TO PASSKEYS?
Here’s what security expert Chris Hauk, Consumer Privacy Advocate at Pixel Privacy, told The Sun…
“Passwords are both hard to remember and in most cases, easy to guess.
“I would venture to say that most users (especially older users) will reuse passwords, simply because of all of the websites and apps that require sign-ins.
“While password managers do help, they are at best, a stopgap measure and do not offer full-ranging security for your login information.
“Passkeys offer the advantage of eliminating the need to enter an email address and password to log in.
“This is especially handy when users are logging in on an iPhone or Android device.
“Passkeys have multiple advantages over passwords. Passkeys cannot be shared or guessed.
“Passkeys are unique to the website or app they are created for, so they cannot be used to login elsewhere like a reused password can.
“Plus, passkeys cannot be stolen in a data breach, as the passkeys are not stored on the company’s servers.
“But are instead are a private key stored only on your device, where biometric authentication (like face ID or Touch ID) is required to use the passkey.”
Image credit: Getty
