Using PIN or password is more secure on Windows 10?

However, all devices can use a PIN (personal identification number) to secure an account on Windows 10. Using a PIN to sign in is a good idea. Let’s take a look at Windows 10’s PIN security feature and the difference between PIN and password, and which one you should choose.

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What is Windows PIN?

A PIN is a sequence of numbers you can use to sign in on Windows 10 through the Windows Hello feature. Entering a PIN is easier than entering the full account password, especially for touch devices. It doesn’t matter whether you use a Microsoft account or a local account to sign in, you can add an additional PIN.

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When signing in with a Microsoft account, there will be certain advantages and disadvantages. Some Microsoft services will require the use of a Microsoft account and help synchronize settings across different devices. That’s an advantage, but some users still prefer to use a local account on the computer to not have to be tied to other things.

If you use a Microsoft account to sign in to Windows, the password used to sign in to the computer and the Microsoft account will be the same. Depending on the number of Microsoft services you use, this password will also be used for your Skype, Xbox or Outlook account. Therefore, revealing the computer password will pose a great risk.

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If you use a local account, you may not be able to set a password for your computer (making it less secure). In the event that you set a password for a computer, this password will only work on that computer and has nothing to do with other Microsoft services. You can refer to the internet for some ways to switch from a Microsoft account to a local account on your computer if you like.

How to set up a PIN on Windows

You can access your password and PIN settings by going to Settings > Account > Sign-in options. On this page, you can customize all settings related to passwords and login methods.

To change the current password, click to expand the item Password and select the button Change. When using a Microsoft account, this will change the password for all Microsoft services associated with the account. If using a local account, this only changes the password on the computer.

Add PIN and account by opening Windows Hello PIN and select the button Add. You may need to confirm your account password before setting a PIN.

The minimum number of PIN characters is 4 digits, but you should choose a 6-digit sequence to increase security. A 6-digit sequence will have up to a million codes, while a 4-digit sequence will only have 10,000 codes.

For even more security, you can also check the Include letters and symbols (including numbers and letters). However, if you choose this option, the PIN code is no different from the normal password, so it will lose the convenience of the PIN and is not necessary.

Of course, you should choose your PIN carefully. Don’t choose common numbers like 0000 nice 1234, of course never choose your date of birth as the PIN. You should also avoid using the same number sequence with other important codes such as ATM card PIN. So, if someone knows your computer PIN, they can’t access other accounts.

Ideally, you should choose a random sequence of numbers and have to remember or simply save it in a password manager application. If you need to change or delete your PIN, you can also do so at this page.

You can also choose I forgot my PIN to reset your PIN if you forget it. To reset, you’ll have to enter your account and password if you have one.

” See more: 3 tips to set a password for the folder to help secure your data

Several other login options

At page Sign-in Options, you’ll see several other sign-in options besides PIN and password. Includes two biosecurity options: Windows Hello Face (face scan) and Windows Hello Fingerprint (Fingerprint scan). If you choose to use either of these methods, you should still set up a PIN as a backup.

Using biosecurity requires the right hardware, which not all devices have. You can comfortably use these two features if the device has a fingerprint scanner or a compatible webcam.

Option Security Key allows you to sign in with YubiKey or a similar device. This is a highly secure feature, but it also requires you to spend extra money to buy a security key and to carry it with you at all times.

Finally the option Picture Password, this option allows you to draw an image to unlock the calculator. Although it is quite interesting, it is not very convenient to use.

So should you use PIN or password for Windows?

Securing an account, especially when it comes to security, often comes with a trade-off between convenience and safety. Get the sequence of numbers 1234 to make a PIN is too convenient but also makes the device unsafe. Or using a PIN with about 100 digits is super secure but extremely inconvenient to enter.

However, since you can use both PIN and password side by side, you don’t have to choose between convenience and security. When used correctly, a PIN can also combine the two. Let’s find out why PIN is so effective.

PIN is unique on each device

The best Windows 10 PIN security feature is that it only applies to one device; it is only used on your computer and is never synced to Microsoft’s servers. So, if you reveal the PIN of your home computer, other people won’t be able to access your Microsoft account unless you directly use the other computer. Plus, you can’t use a PIN to access your Microsoft account instead of a password.

Therefore, using a Microsoft account to log in on a computer is actually more risky. If you have to enter your password to log in multiple times, you’ll tend to create a password that’s simple and easy to remember, which of course is less secure. Once the password is exposed, the person who knows it will be able to access all the Microsoft services associated with that account.

Use a PIN with a strong password

If you have to use an account management application to create a password for your Microsoft account, it must be complicated and difficult to enter every time you need to log in. Using a PIN will solve this problem, but you also need to make sure your PIN is strong enough as well.

Our recommendation is to use a strong password for your Microsoft account and combine it with a PIN to log in to your computer. This combination helps to ensure the safety of your Microsoft account while also being able to log in to your computer more conveniently. And if you use two-factor authentication for your Microsoft account, the level of security will be even higher.

There are no limitations in PIN settings. Users using a local account on the device can also set a PIN, the principles are the same as above. Since the local account can only be used on one device, the PIN is also just an alternative to a password login without providing the benefits of Microsoft account protection.

Note that you cannot use a PIN when connecting to a computer through the application Remote Desktop and when using . mode Safe Mode. You must make sure you still have a password that is secure enough for these cases.

Use PIN to access apps

An added benefit of a PIN is that some Windows apps support Windows Hello to protect sensitive information, like the 1Password and Google Chrome apps.

For example with 1Password, after accessing the application with the master password, the next time you can use the PIN to open the application. And Chrome allows you to enter a PIN to automatically fill in your saved credit card information.

Using a PIN is much more convenient than entering a password over and over again, so linking apps and Windows Hello is very convenient. However, you need to remember that the level of security it provides will only be equal to the security of the PIN you choose.

Using PIN on Windows is a smart choice

Now you know how PIN works on Windows. When entering the login page, Windows will ask for a PIN instead of a password. To use a password, you can select the line Sign-in options below the PIN input box. We recommend using a PIN to sign in on Windows 10 whether you’re using a Microsoft account or a local account.