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Microsoft users are being alerted that their passwords could be permanently deleted in a matter of days. Those utilising Microsoft Authenticator for password management should export them promptly to avoid losing them forever.
As of June 2025, the ability to save new passwords in Authenticator ceased, with users receiving notifications about impending changes. By July 2025, the use of autofill with Authenticator was also discontinued, reports Birmingham Live.
Come August, any saved passwords will become inaccessible via Authenticator and will be purged. Microsoft has stated, “any generated passwords not saved will be deleted”.
An in-app alert currently cautions users: “To keep auto-filling your info, please take action now.” In a December blog post, Microsoft highlighted that they thwart 7,000 password attacks every second, which is “almost double from a year ago.”
The company cautioned that “Bad actors know it, which is why they’re desperately accelerating password-related attacks while they still can.”
Microsoft advocates for passkeys as the future, claiming they “offer an improved user experience by letting you sign in faster with your face, fingerprint, or PIN, but they also aren’t susceptible to the same kinds of attacks as passwords.”
Chris Hauk, Consumer Privacy Advocate at Pixel Privacy, commented to The Sun: “Passkeys have multiple advantages over passwords. Passkeys cannot be shared or guessed. Passkeys are unique to the website or app they are created for, so they cannot be used to login elsewhere like a reused password can.
“Plus, passkeys cannot be stolen in a data breach, as the passkeys are not stored on the company’s servers.” A CNET survey has found that 49 per cent of US adults exhibit poor password practices. Utilising a password across multiple accounts or one that is easily guessed could increase the risk of hackers accessing your personal data.
