How to Change Maximum PIN Length in Windows 11

Change Maximum PIN Length in Windows

The steps below use the Local Group Policy Editor. Each step says what you should see on screen before you move on.

Method 1Using Local Group Policy Editor

1. ⚙️ Admin Required – Open the Local Group Policy Editor. Click the Start button, type “Edit group policy” in the search🔍 box, and click the result. The Local Group Policy Editor window opens with a folder tree on the left. If the search finds nothing, you are most likely on Windows 11 Home. Skip to the Registry Editor method below.
2. In the left pane, expand the folders shown below until you reach the PIN Complexity folder. You must be signed in as an administrator. When you select the folder, its settings are listed in the pane on the right.
3. In the PIN Complexity details pane on the right, find the Maximum PIN length setting and double-click it. A window with that setting’s name opens.

4. In the “PIN Complexity” window, choose one of these options:

   • Not Configured (default) – Same as Disabled. Windows applies no custom limit. Pick this to undo a change you made earlier.
   • Enabled – You set the maximum PIN length. The largest number you can use is 127. The smallest number cannot be lower than the Minimum PIN length setting or 4, whichever is greater. After you select Enabled, type your number in the options box.
   • Disabled – PIN length must be 127 or less.
5. Click OK to save your changes. The window closes and the setting’s State column in the details pane shows your choice. If you need to check the result, open Settings › Accounts › Sign-in options, expand the PIN (Windows Hello) entry and try changing a PIN. The new limit applies when a PIN is created or changed. Users whose existing PIN does not fit the new limit may need to set a new one.

Method 2Using the Registry

If you do not have the Group Policy tool, for example on Windows 11 Home, you can make the same change in the Registry Editor. The registry is a database that holds settings for Windows and your apps. Press Win+R, type regedit, and press Enter. Click Yes if User Account Control asks for permission. A wrong edit in the registry can cause problems, so back it up before you change anything.

1. ⚙️ Admin Required – Open the Registry Editor and navigate to this folder path. You can paste the path into the address bar at the top of the window, or expand the folders in the left pane one by one:
   

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork\PINComplexity

2. If you do not have the PassportForWork and/or PINComplexity keys in the registry path, create new keys to match the path above. To do that, right-click the parent key, select New › Key, and type the exact name. The new key appears in the left pane under its parent.
3. Right-click PINComplexity › New › DWORD (32-bit) Value and name the new DWORD MaximumPINLength. The new value appears in the right pane. Check that the name is spelled exactly as shown, because Windows ignores a value with the wrong name.
4. Double-click MaximumPINLength and select Decimal under Base. Then type a number between 4 and 127 in the Value data box for the PIN length you want, and click OK. The right pane now shows your number next to the value name.

5. To restore the default behavior later, delete the MaximumPINLength value you created. Right-click it, select Delete, and confirm. Skip this step if you want to keep your new limit.
6. You may need to restart your🔄 computer to apply the changes. If the new limit does not show up, restart the PC and try changing the PIN again under Settings › Accounts › Sign-in options.

Configuration finishes here. The maximum PIN length is now set, and you can change or remove it at any time using the same method.

Reference

Microsoft.com

Summary

Windows 11 supports a PIN of up to 127 characters, not just the standard four digits. You can change this limit with either the Local Group Policy Editor (Pro, Enterprise and Education) or the Registry Editor (all editions, including Home). A longer limit gives users room for a stronger sign-in PIN.

• Windows 11 supports a maximum PIN length of up to 127 characters. The default minimum is 4.
• You can modify the maximum PIN length using the Local Group Policy Editor or the Windows Registry Editor. Windows 11 Home has only the Registry Editor.
• A longer PIN helps protect your device from unauthorized access by making it harder to guess.
• Back up your registry or create a restore point before making changes to avoid problems.
• Users may need to update their existing PINs if they don’t meet the new length requirements after the change.
• To undo the change, set the policy to Not Configured or delete the registry value. A restart may be needed afterwards.