Microsoft is doing away with passwords on Outlook and other software

In lieu of passwords, Microsoft will let people access accounts using the Microsoft Authenticator app, the biometric Windows Hello option (which scans your face, iris, or fingerprint), a security key, or a verification code sent to the user’s phone or email.

“Passwords are incredibly inconvenient to create, remember, and manage across all the accounts in our lives,” said Vasu Jakkal, corporate vice president for security, compliance, and identity at Microsoft, in a blog post. “Forgetting a password can be painful too. I was shocked to learn that nearly a third of people say they completely stop using an account or service rather than dealing with a lost password.”