According to The How-To Geek, Windows 11 just received a major November 2025 security update that adds native support for third-party passkey managers. Microsoft developed a new plugin passkey manager API that allows users to choose their preferred password manager instead of being locked into Microsoft’s ecosystem. 1Password and Bitwarden are already live with this deep native support today, with more providers expected to follow soon. The integration means passkeys now work seamlessly with Windows Hello for authentication using PIN, face recognition, or fingerprint. Microsoft also integrated its own password manager natively into Windows as a plugin option. All of this makes passkeys—which are phishing-resistant and more secure than traditional passwords—finally feel cohesive across Windows devices.
Why this matters
Here’s the thing about passkeys until now—they’ve been fragmented as hell. If you weren’t all-in on Microsoft’s ecosystem, the experience felt disjointed. You’d have your favorite password manager for everything else, but then suddenly you’re dealing with multiple systems for passkeys. It was messy and frankly annoying.
Now? Microsoft basically said “fine, use whatever you want.” And that’s huge. They worked directly with third-party providers to build this API, which means it’s not some half-baked compatibility layer. 1Password and Bitwarden getting first crack at this makes perfect sense—they’re the heavy hitters that people actually use. I’ve been using 1Password for years, and having it work natively in Windows instead of just in browsers? That’s the kind of seamless experience we should expect in 2025.
The bigger picture
Look, Microsoft could have kept this walled garden. They absolutely had the power to force everyone into their password manager. But they didn’t. Instead, they’re treating passkeys like the infrastructure they are—something that should work across everything. Smart move.
And let’s talk about the security benefits here. Passkeys stored in Microsoft’s manager get Azure Managed Hardware Security Modules and hardware-isolated environments. That’s enterprise-grade protection for everyday users. But the real win is that you’re not forced into it—you get to choose your level of comfort and feature set.
What’s interesting is how this plays into the broader Windows upgrade cycle. Microsoft needs reasons to get people off Windows 10, and features like this that actually improve daily workflow? That’s way more compelling than another Start menu redesign.
What comes next
So where does this leave us? Well, if you’re using 1Password, you’ll need the MSIX version to get this working. 1Password’s community announcement walks through the new onboarding flow they built specifically for this integration. It’s clearly something they’ve put real effort into.
I suspect we’ll see LastPass, Dashlane, and the other big players jumping on this bandwagon quickly. Once users experience true system-wide passkey integration, they’re not going back to the old way of doing things.
Basically, this is one of those rare Windows updates that actually makes life better rather than just fixing security holes. It removes friction, increases security, and gives users choice. When was the last time you could say that about a Windows update?
