Feature
It’s a PIN all the way for me!
Image: Logitech
Windows Hello is the feature embedded in Windows 10 and 11 that allows users to log in with their biometric identification, namely facial recognition and fingerprint scans. This login method is generally considered to be more convenient for users and more secure than traditional password and PIN methods, but I still don’t use it. Here’s why.
1. It’s slower than a PIN
Microsoft says the allure of Windows Hello is the speed at which users can unlock their PCs. For me, though, I’ve experienced regular delays in the facial recognition and fingerprint scanning, which have made accessing my desktop frustratingly slow compared to just entering a PIN, so a PIN remains my favored method.
2. It’s not as reliable as traditional authentication
I’ve found the facial recognition technology fails to read my face under certain circumstances. For example, when I have a bright desk lamp on, or when I’m wearing a hat. Again, these things can cause prolonged waiting times and frustration as I have to modify what I’m wearing or the lighting in my room for it to read properly.
Mark Hachman / Foundry
3. The experience varies with my different hardware
My experience with Windows Hello in the past 12 months has varied a lot with the hardware capabilities in my different devices. For example, I have an old laptop with a shoddy fingerprint scanner that would miss-scan every second time. It also has a sub-par camera that would have trouble recognizing my image in certain conditions. However, my work laptop, which is a premium laptop with an advanced sensor seemed to work every time.
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4. PIN feels more familiar
It just feels more familiar using the traditional methods of authentication over biometric authentication. I’ve been logging in with a password for many years now and old habits die hard. PIN authentication feels the closest to that.
Why I want to use Windows Hello
Despite the problems I’ve had with Windows Hello, I’d like to make it work for me in the future. It’s likely that as Windows devices become more ubiquitous, Microsoft will make Windows Hello accessible on a wider range of devices, so I don’t want to be left behind.
It’s likely, too, that Microsoft will continue to optimize Windows Hello, leveraging advances in machine learning to make the technology more accurate and to improve recognition speeds and adaptability to user changes.
Experts speculate that AI driven improvements in recognition will lead to a more futuristic experience of Windows Hello that will make it more reliable and less buggy. When that happens, I’m all in.
