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You can now sign into a Microsoft Account with an Apple Watch, no password required

You can now sign into a Microsoft Account with an Apple Watch, no password required

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Approve from your wrist

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Microsoft Authenticator app
Microsoft Authenticator app
Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge

Microsoft first introduced password-free sign-ins to its accounts with an Authenticator app for iOS and Android last year. The app lets you approve requests to sign into a Microsoft Account without a password. Microsoft is now extending this same functionality to a new Apple Watch app so you can approve sign-ins straight from your wrist.

The app will let Microsoft Account users approve requests that typically require a password, PIN, or biometric authentication straight from an Apple Watch. Push notifications will appear on the Watch, and Microsoft Account users just select the number that’s shown in the sign-in screen to approve the request. It’s easy to setup straight from an Apple Watch, and if you’re already a Microsoft Authenticator user then you can easily move personal and work accounts from your iPhone over to a watch.

Microsoft is trialing this initially in public preview, and plans to make it available to everyone within the next few weeks. Microsoft Authenticator with password-free sign-ins is limited to personal (Outlook.com) accounts and work-related accounts like Office 365. If you want to test the Apple Watch app early you can sign up to become a Microsoft Authenticator beta tester right here.