Why is a Passkey on Keychain deleted if I reset Windows Hello?

Rob22 0 Reputation points
2025-12-05T08:27:00.7666667+00:00

My MS Outlook account (which I access through my IOS 26.1 iPhone & Mail App) is now behaving normally after a recent hack.

My Passkey is stored on the Apple iCloud Keychain in the Password App.

I don't have any Windows devices.

No idea why I did it but I tapped on "Reset Windows Hello on All My Windows Devices" and instantly my Passkey was removed from the Sign In Options list.

When trying to sign in afterwards, my Password App kept prompting to use my Passkey, but obviously it failed with an error when I tried to use it (random data appearing on screen).

I'm just looking for reassurance there's nothing for me to worry about i.e. my Passkey isn't copied onto some Windows device somewhere.

Seeing daemons everywhere sorry 🙏

Outlook | Outlook for mobile | Outlook for iOS | For home
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  1. Q&A Assist
    2025-12-05T08:27:17.3066667+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    When you reset Windows Hello, it can lead to the deletion of passkeys associated with your Microsoft account on devices that were using that authentication method. This is because Windows Hello is designed to manage credentials and authentication methods for Windows devices, and resetting it may remove any stored passkeys that were linked to that account.

    Since you mentioned that you do not have any Windows devices, your concern about the passkey being copied onto a Windows device is unfounded. The passkey stored in your Apple iCloud Keychain should remain secure and unaffected by the actions taken on Windows Hello, as they operate independently.

    If your passkey was removed from the Sign In Options list, you may need to re-register it or create a new one to continue using it for authentication. It's always a good practice to ensure that your passkeys are backed up or stored securely, especially after any changes to your authentication settings.

    If you have further concerns about your account security, consider reviewing your account settings and enabling additional security measures, such as two-factor authentication.


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