Microsoft has said that it's ending support for passwords in its Authenticator app starting August 1, 2025.
Microsoft's move is part of a much larger shift away from traditional password-based logins. The company said the changes are also meant to streamline autofill within its two-factor authentication (2FA) app, making the experience simpler and more secure.
Over the past few years, Microsoft has been pushing for a passwordless future using technologies like passkeys, Windows Hello, and FIDO2-based authentication. These methods offer better protection against phishing and password reuse, which are still major attack vectors. While it may feel like a hassle at first, this change is actually aimed at reducing your risk in the long run.
"Starting July 2025, the autofill feature in Authenticator will stop working, and from August 2025, passwords will no longer be accessible in Authenticator," Microsoft said in a support document for Authenticator.
It's worth noting that Microsoft has already removed the ability to add or import new passwords in the app as of last month. However, the option to save passwords through autofill will continue to work in July.
That said, the feature isn't going away entirely. Instead, the saved passwords and addresses will now be synced with users' Microsoft accounts, allowing them to be accessed via the Edge web browser by setting it as the default autofill provider.
"After August 2025, your saved passwords will no longer be accessible in Authenticator and any generated passwords not saved will be deleted," Redmond said.
Another key aspect to note is that the changes do not apply to passkeys. Users who have enabled passkeys for their Microsoft accounts are required to enable Authenticator as their passkey provider. Disabling Authenticator will also have the side effect of disabling passkeys.
If you've been using the Authenticator app mainly for autofill or to store passwords across devices, now's a good time to switch to a dedicated password manager like Edge, Apple iCloud Keychain, Bitwarden, or Google Password Manager. These tools support syncing, biometric unlock, and encrypted backups.
You can export your passwords from Authenticator and import them into your new service. Just remember to set your chosen app as the default autofill provider on your mobile device to keep logins working smoothly.
