Being able to log in to an app with the help of the fingerprint scanner is quickly becoming a standard feature on mobile. But while Windows PCs and laptops have long had fingerprint scanners to allow you to securely log in to your machine, that protection didn’t extend any further than the login screen.
Now Microsoft is bringing to Windows apps (and even the web) some of the convenience and security of being able to use the same tech it uses to keep enterprise laptops safe. The idea here is to let you use the same technology that powers “Windows Hello” — the login security feature of Windows 10 that supports fingerprint scanners, facial recognition and even iris scanners — to log into other services, as well.
This feature probably wouldn’t be all that interesting if it only worked for Windows apps, but the company is also extending it to web apps.
Neither Google nor Apple currently let developers integrate their web apps with the Android or iOS fingerprint APIs. For now, this feature apparently only works with Microsoft’s own Edge browser, but the company says it is compatible with the FIDO 2.0 standard and can theoretically work with any browser. “Other top browser makers have expressed interest in supporting [this spec] in the future, however, Microsoft Edge is currently the first one to market with an implementation,” the company said.
The new feature is slated for its full public release as part of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update in late July, but Windows Insiders will get to try it today.