For improved security and a more seamless sign-in experience, you can now enable passwordless sign-in for Microsoft accounts on your Windows 10 device starting with Windows 10 build 18936.
Enabling passwordless sign-in will switch all Microsoft accounts on your Windows 10 device to only allow modern authentication with Windows Hello Face, Fingerprint, or PIN.
Enabling passwordless sign-in will remove the password and picture password sign-in options for all Microsoft accounts on the sign-in screen and in Accounts > Sign-in options > Settings.
This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable passwordless sign-in to only allow Windows Hello sign-in for all Microsoft accounts on your Windows 10 device.
Search Windows and the web from the taskbar to find help, apps, files, settings—you name it. You can also get quick answers from the web—like weather, stock prices, currency conversion, and much more—and get to websites faster by using links in the preview pane.
Cortana and Search has been separated starting with Windows 10 version 1903.
My search history allows Windows Search to improve on-device searches collecting and using your search history from devices that you sign-in with your Microsoft account.
Search activity appears only if you:
This tutorial will show you how to clear your search history on Bing.com used to improve on-device searches for your account in Windows 10.
Search Windows and the web from the taskbar to find help, apps, files, settings—you name it. You can also get quick answers from the web—like weather, stock prices, currency conversion, and much more—and get to websites faster by using links in the preview pane.
Cortana and Search has been separated starting with Windows 10 version 1903.
My device history allows Windows Search to improve on-device searches by collecting and using your app, settings, and other history from devices that you sign-in with your Microsoft account.
This tutorial will show you how to clear your device history used to improve on-device searches for your account in Windows 10.
Search Windows and the web from the taskbar to find help, apps, files, settings—you name it. You can also get quick answers from the web—like weather, stock prices, currency conversion, and much more—and get to websites faster by using links in the preview pane.
Cortana and Search has been separated starting with Windows 10 version 1903.
My device history allows Windows Search to improve on-device searches by collecting and using your app, settings, and other history from devices that you sign-in with your Microsoft account.
My search history allows Windows Search to improve on-device searches collecting and using your search history from devices that you sign-in with your Microsoft account.
This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off using your device history and search history to improve on-device searches for your account in Windows 10.
Since April 2018, you’ve had Timeline on your Windows 10 PC. It aims to end the frustration we’ve all encountered digging through emails and file folders for a document we just can’t find. Timeline makes it way easier to find what matters to you across your devices. You can also pick up what you were doing — even if it was on your iOS or Android device — on your Windows 10 PC when you’re ready to get back to it.
Now with the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, your PC’s timeline is available on your phone, so you can scroll back in time to find the files and websites you were using on your phone, computer and tablet.
Basically, you can pick up where you left off, wherever you left off. Go back and forth in time by easily scrolling back to find things you were working on earlier today or earlier this week. Share or remove activities whenever you want from a specific day or hour.
Timeline shows 7 days of past activities, including activities done on a tablet and laptop when users are signed into their Microsoft accounts.
Timeline is now available in preview on Android phone via the Microsoft Launcher app and will be coming soon to preview for iPhone.
This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off Timeline on Your feed in the Microsoft Launcher app on your Android phone.
If your desktop, laptop, tablet, or Surface is lost or stolen, use the Find my device feature to locate and lock it remotely.
Find my device uses your device’s location data to help you find your device if you lose it. Find my device allows an administrator of a Windows portable device, such as a laptop or tablet, to identify the location of that device from account.microsoft.com/devices. To use this feature, the administrator needs to turn on the location setting for the device and sign in to Windows through a Microsoft account. This feature will work for the administrator even if other users have denied access to location for all their apps. When the administrator tries to locate the device, users will see a notification in the notification area on the taskbar.
If you locate your device and want to prevent anyone from using it or seeing your files, you can lock it remotely.
When you remotely lock your Windows 10 Device, it will sign out any active users and disable local users. Administrators with permissions will still have access to sign in to and unlock the device, but unauthorized access will be blocked. Your device will be locked and location tracking services will be enabled. The lock screen will show a message you created. You will get emails for device update sent to your Microsoft account email address.
This tutorial will show you how to remotely lock your Windows 10 computer online using the Find my device Microsoft service.
A security key (ex: YubiKey) is a physical device that you can use instead of your user name and password to sign in. Since it’s used in addition to a fingerprint or PIN, even if someone has your security key, they won’t be able to sign in without the PIN or fingerprint that you create. Security keys are usually available for purchase from retailers that sell computer accessories.
There are different types of security keys that you can use, like a USB key that you plug in to your device or an NFC key that you tap on an NFC reader. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the type of security key you have by reading the instruction manual from the manufacturer.
Starting with Windows 10 build 18298, you can now set up a security key straight from Settings that you can log you into applications.
When you set up a security key, you add a PIN that helps keep it safe. Your security key PIN can be changed if needed.
This tutorial will show you how to change the PIN for your security key that can log you into applications for your account in Windows 10.
A security key (ex: YubiKey) is a physical device that you can use instead of your user name and password to sign in. Since it’s used in addition to a fingerprint or PIN, even if someone has your security key, they won’t be able to sign in without the PIN or fingerprint that you create. Security keys are usually available for purchase from retailers that sell computer accessories.
There are different types of security keys that you can use, like a USB key that you plug in to your device or an NFC key that you tap on an NFC reader. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the type of security key you have by reading the instruction manual from the manufacturer.
Starting with Windows 10 build 18298, you can now set up a security key straight from Settings that you can log you into applications.
This tutorial will show you how to set up a security key that can log you into applications for your account in Windows 10.
A security key (ex: YubiKey) is a physical device that you can use instead of your user name and password to sign in. Since it’s used in addition to a fingerprint or PIN, even if someone has your security key, they won’t be able to sign in without the PIN or fingerprint that you create. Security keys are usually available for purchase from retailers that sell computer accessories.
There are different types of security keys that you can use, like a USB key that you plug in to your device or an NFC key that you tap on an NFC reader. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the type of security key you have by reading the instruction manual from the manufacturer.
Starting with Windows 10 version 1809, you can sign in to your Microsoft account with Windows Hello or a security key in Microsoft Edge. This can be handy if you are tired of having to remember or reset your Microsoft account password.
This tutorial will show you how to set up a security key to sign in to your Microsoft account online using Microsoft Edge from your Windows 10 PC.
Windows Hello is a more personal way to sign in to your Microsoft account using your face, fingerprint, or a PIN. You can use Windows Hello to sign in to your device on the lock screen and sign in to your Microsoft account on the web.
Starting with Windows 10 version 1809, you can sign in to your Microsoft account with Windows Hello or a security key in Microsoft Edge. This can be handy if you are tired of having to remember or reset your Microsoft account password.
This tutorial will show you how to set up Windows Hello to sign in to your Microsoft account online using Microsoft Edge from your Windows 10 PC.
One of the many benefits of having a Microsoft account is a family group, which gives you access to family features and settings. It’s a free service that helps families stay connected and keeps kids safer on Windows 10, Xbox One devices, and Android devices running Microsoft Launcher. You’ll find settings like activity reporting, screen time limits, location sharing, and content filters, where you can also track kids’ spending and add money to their Microsoft accounts.
A Microsoft family group is separate from other Microsoft apps and programs. You can sign up with your email account. If you already use Skype, you’ll have a family chat set up and waiting for you once you create your family group. If you don’t already have Skype, get more information and sign up to create an account for your family.
Once you set up your family group, you can add or remove child and adult members.
A Microsoft account is what you use to sign in to Microsoft services such as outlook.com (or Hotmail), Office, OneDrive, Skype, Xbox, Windows, and more. It makes your experiences on devices and services more personal and relevant to you.
Any device (ex: PC, phone, tablet, laptop, Xbox, etc…) that you signed in to with your Microsoft account will be associated (connected) with your Microsoft account, and listed under “Your devices” online until you remove the device.
As an adult in your Microsoft family group, you can see all devices connected to your child’s account.
This tutorial will show you how to see all devices connected to the Microsoft account of a child member in your Microsoft family group.
One of the many benefits of having a Microsoft account is a family group, which gives you access to family features and settings. It’s a free service that helps families stay connected and keeps kids safer on Windows 10, Xbox One devices, and Android devices running Microsoft Launcher. You’ll find settings like activity reporting, screen time limits, location sharing, and content filters, where you can also track kids’ spending and add money to their Microsoft accounts.
A Microsoft family group is separate from other Microsoft apps and programs. You can sign up with your email account. If you already use Skype, you’ll have a family chat set up and waiting for you once you create your family group. If you don’t already have Skype, get more information and sign up to create an account for your family.
Once you set up your family group, you can add or remove child and adult members.
The content filters you set determine what your child can get from the websites they visit, which games they can play, or whether they need adult approval to buy from the Microsoft Store. Content filters include three settings: Ask a parent; Apps, games & media; and Web browsing. You set the rules, and you decide when to break them. Like with screen time, your child can send you exception requests for content that you can respond to through email or on account.microsoft.com/family.
You can require adult approval for the things your child wants to buy in Microsoft Store, except what they get with gift cards or money in their Microsoft account. Even when Ask a parent is turned off, you’ll still approve content that exceeds the age limit you set in the Apps, games & media section.
This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off Ask a parent for a child member in your Microsoft family group to require adult approval to buy things in the Microsoft Store on Windows 10 and Xbox One devices.
One of the many benefits of having a Microsoft account is a family group, which gives you access to family features and settings. It’s a free service that helps families stay connected and keeps kids safer on Windows 10, Xbox One devices, and Android devices running Microsoft Launcher. You’ll find settings like activity reporting, screen time limits, location sharing, and content filters, where you can also track kids’ spending and add money to their Microsoft accounts.
A Microsoft family group is separate from other Microsoft apps and programs. You can sign up with your email account. If you already use Skype, you’ll have a family chat set up and waiting for you once you create your family group. If you don’t already have Skype, get more information and sign up to create an account for your family.
Once you set up your family group, you can add or remove child and adult members.
Once they accept the invitation, you can do things like schedule events on your family calendar, receive activity reports (child), and set screen time limits (child).
This tutorial will show you how to create and set up your Microsoft family group for access to family features and settings.
The Sticky Notes app is a preinstalled UWP (Universal Windows Platform) app in Windows 10. This apps allows you to create and save notes to the desktop of your Windows 10 PC. Thanks to a new and improved design, added intelligence and Pen support, it is now easier than ever to quickly capture and add context to all your notes.
If you sign in to Sticky Notes with your Microsoft account or work or school account, you will be able to sync your notes across all your Windows 10 devices that you are also signed in to Sticky Notes with the same Microsoft account or work or school account.
You can now get to your notes from anywhere with the introduction of Sticky Notes on the web. Your notes can now sync on Windows 10 devices and on the web from any device.
When you sign out of Sticky Notes, you will not have access to your synced notes again until you sign back in. Any new notes you create will not be synced until you sign in next.
This tutorial will show you how to access and use Sticky Notes online on the web and sync with Sticky Notes on your Windows 10 devices.
Microsoft has added a new Push To Install service on June 6, 2018 to the Microsoft Store online website for a feature called Install on my devices that allows you to remotely install apps you own with your Microsoft account from the Microsoft Store online website to any of your Windows 10 devices that you also sign in to with the same Microsoft account.
If you like, you can configure a group policy setting to enable or disable if users will be able to push Apps to this device from the Microsoft Store running on other devices or the web. If disabled, users will still be able to go through the process to remotely install apps from the Microsoft Store online to this PC, but the app will not actually get installed.
This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable the Push To Install service for users to remotely install apps from the Microsoft Store online website to this Windows 10 PC.
When Sync settings is turned on, Windows syncs the settings you choose across all your Windows 10 devices that you’ve signed in to with your Microsoft account.
The settings you choose to sync are also saved in OneDrive (cloud).
You can choose to sync your theme, passwords, language preferences, Ease of Access, and Other Windows settings settings. If you turn on Other Windows settings, Windows syncs some device settings (for things like printers and mouse options), File Explorer settings, and notification preferences. For a complete list of settings that Windows can sync, see Windows 10 roaming settings reference.
This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable syncing Other Windows settings on the Sync your settings page in Settings for all users in Windows 10.
When Sync settings is turned on, Windows syncs the settings you choose across all your Windows 10 devices that you’ve signed in to with your Microsoft account.
The settings you choose to sync are also saved in OneDrive (cloud).
You can choose to sync your theme, passwords, language preferences, Ease of Access, and Other Windows settings settings. If you turn on Other Windows settings, Windows syncs some device settings (for things like printers and mouse options), File Explorer settings, and notification preferences. For a complete list of settings that Windows can sync, see Windows 10 roaming settings reference.
This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable syncing theme on the Sync your settings page in Settings for all users in Windows 10.
When Sync settings is turned on, Windows syncs the settings you choose across all your Windows 10 devices that you’ve signed in to with your Microsoft account.
The settings you choose to sync are also saved in OneDrive (cloud).
You can choose to sync your theme, passwords, language preferences, Ease of Access, and Other Windows settings settings. If you turn on Other Windows settings, Windows syncs some device settings (for things like printers and mouse options), File Explorer settings, and notification preferences. For a complete list of settings that Windows can sync, see Windows 10 roaming settings reference.
This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable syncing passwords on the Sync your settings page in Settings for all users in Windows 10.
Microsoft has added a new feature on June 6, 2018 to the Microsoft Store online called Install on my devices that allows you to remotely install apps you own with your Microsoft account from the Microsoft Store online website to any of your Windows 10 devices that you also sign in to with the same Microsoft account.
This tutorial will show you how to remotely install apps you own from the Microsoft Store online to any of your Windows 10 devices.
When sync settings is turned on, Windows syncs the settings you choose across all your Windows 10 devices that you’ve signed in to with your Microsoft account.
The settings and app data you choose to sync are also saved in OneDrive (cloud).
You can choose to sync your theme, passwords, language preferences, Ease of Access, and Other Windows settings settings. If you turn on Other Windows settings, Windows syncs some device settings (for things like printers and mouse options), File Explorer settings, and notification preferences. For a complete list of settings that Windows can sync, see Windows 10 roaming settings reference.
This tutorial will show you how to delete your sync settings from OneDrive for Windows 10 devices that you have signed in to with your Microsoft account.