- To set up Windows Hello Face on Windows 11, open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options, and click “Set up” on the “Facial recognition (Windows Hello)” setting, click “Get started,” confirm authentication, position your face for the scan, and click “Close.”
On Windows 11, you can securely sign in without typing anything on the screen using your face with the Windows Hello facial recognition feature.
Windows Hello has been around for many years, and it’s a feature that offers several ways to ditch your password in favor of a more secure authentication method, such as PIN, fingerprint, and face.
Although you can enable and configure the feature on virtually any device, you still need special hardware. For example, fingerprint authentication requires a fingerprint reader, and the facial recognition option requires an infrared or Intel RealSense camera.
This guide will teach you the steps to configure Windows Hello facial recognition using a biometric camera on Windows 11.
Set up facial recognition on Windows 11
To configure Windows Hello facial recognition to unlock a computer on Windows 11, use these steps:
-
Open Settings on Windows 11.
-
Click on Accounts.
-
Click the Sign-in options page on the right side.
-
Under the “Ways to sign in” section, select the “Facial recognition (Windows Hello)” setting.
-
Click the Set up button.
-
Click the Get started button.
-
Confirm your current password (or PIN).
-
Look directly into the camera for Windows 11 to create a facial recognition profile of your face.
-
Click the Close button.
Once you complete the steps, you can lock your device (Windows key + L) and look into the camera to sign in.
If the sign-in experience is not working as expected, under the “Facial recognition (Windows Hello)” setting, you will find an “Improve recognition” option to keep training the system.
Disable facial recognition on Windows 11
To remove Windows Hello facial recognition to sign in on Windows 11, use these steps:
-
Open Settings.
-
Click on Accounts.
-
Click the Sign-in options page on the right side.
-
Under the “Ways to sign in” section, select the “Facial recognition (Windows Hello)” setting.
-
Click the Remove button.
-
Confirm the account credentials.
-
Click the OK button.
After you complete the steps, you can continue signing in with a traditional password. If you have configured a PIN or fingerprint reader, you must remove those configurations using the same steps to disable the Windows Hello feature.
Windows Hello facial recognition compatible hardware
Although biometric authentication is widely available, you won’t find it on every device, especially in the budget market. If you want to use facial recognition authentication on Windows 11, you will usually need a premium device. For example, here’s a list of the best laptops with facial recognition cameras:
If you are in the market for a budget device, the Surface Go 3 is affordable and includes Windows Hello facial recognition camera.
If you have a desktop computer, you don’t need to spend much money to experience biometric authentication. You can get the Logitech BRIO webcam featuring a facial recognition camera for around $130.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].