Set Up Picture Password in Windows 11

A picture password in Windows 11 is set up under Settings › Accounts › Sign-in options › Picture password, where you click Add and choose a photo. It lets you sign in by drawing three gestures (taps, circles or straight lines) on that photo instead of typing a long password.

Microsoft’s release notes (KB5101650) say picture password is no longer available for new enrollment. If you already set one up, you can keep using it to sign in. If it is removed or disabled, though, it cannot be set up again. Microsoft recommends Windows Hello PIN, facial recognition or fingerprint recognition instead.

On a build where the option is still offered, it works on Windows 11 version 22H2 and newer, with both local and Microsoft accounts. Your normal account password stays in place as a fallback.

How to setup picture password in 🪟 Windows 11

Here is the whole job in short. The sections below go through each step and describe what you should see on screen.

1. Open Settings⚙️ and go to Accounts › Sign-in options.
2. Expand Picture password and click Add.
3. Confirm your current account password.
4. Click Choose a picture and select your photo.
5. Click Use this picture.
6. Draw three gestures on the photo, then draw them again to confirm.
7. Click Finish.

No restart is needed. The picture password is available the next time you lock the PC or sign in.

1. Press the Win+I.

The Settings app opens. You can also click Start and then Settings. This app is where you manage most of your Windows 11 setup, including how you sign in.

If you prefer the search route, use these steps instead:

1. Click the search box🔍 on the taskbar🖥️.
2. Type Settings.
3. Select Settings in the results to open it.

That’s it. The Settings app is open, and you can carry on with the steps below.

Your Windows Settings should look similar to the image below. Next, go to the sign-in settings for your account.

1. In Windows Settings⚙️, click Accounts in the left pane.
2. On the right side of the screen, select Sign-in options, as shown in the image below.

You should now see the list of ways to sign in to this PC, such as PIN, password and picture password. The exact list depends on your hardware. Face or fingerprint options only appear if your device supports them.

1. Click Picture password to expand it.
2. Click Add, as highlighted below.

If you can’t find Picture password, check the setting near the top of Sign-in options that only allows Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts on this device. When that setting is on, it can hide the other sign-in methods. Turn it off, then reopen the page.

If the setting is already off and the option is still missing, the cause is likely Microsoft’s change described at the top of this post. New picture passwords can no longer be created on those builds.

After you click Add, Windows asks you to confirm your password. This proves it is really you before Windows changes how you sign in.

1. Type your current account password. For a Microsoft account, this is your Microsoft account password.
2. Click OK.

The picture password wizard opens. If the password is rejected, check Caps Lock and try again.

1. Click the link on the left that reads Choose a picture.

A file picker opens so you can browse your folders. Pick a photo with clear features, such as faces, windows or objects. These give you distinct points to tap, circle or draw lines between.

1. Browse to the picture you want and select it.
2. Click the Use this picture link at the top right, as highlighted below.

Your photo now appears in the wizard, ready for you to draw on. If you don’t like how it looks, you can go back and choose another picture.

Now draw three gestures on the picture. Use any mix of circles, straight lines and taps, with a mouse, touchpad or touchscreen.

1. Draw your first gesture on the picture.
2. Draw the second gesture.
3. Draw the third gesture.

Windows checks each gesture as you go. You must remember the size, position and direction of every gesture, and the order you drew them in. A circle drawn clockwise is not the same as one drawn counterclockwise.

Keep the gestures plain and place them on parts of the photo that are simple to find again.

Windows then asks you to draw the same three gestures again to confirm them. If they match, Windows accepts them as your password. If they don’t match, it tells you and lets you start over, so a bad first try does no harm. For this post, I drew three circles over both eyes and the nose.

1. Click Finish to complete the setup.

You should now have an active picture password. The wizard closes, and the new sign-in method is ready on this account.

The next time you sign in to Windows, repeat the correct gestures on your picture. To test it right away, press the Win+L to lock the PC, then sign back in.

If the picture doesn’t appear on the sign-in screen, click Sign-in options there and choose the picture password icon. If you forget your gestures, you can still sign in with your account password.

To go back to typing, open Settings › Accounts › Sign-in options, expand Picture password and use the Change or Remove button. Changing lets you pick a new photo or new gestures. Removing returns you to your other sign-in methods.

That should do it. Your picture password is set up and tested, with your account password still available as a backup.

Picture passwords offer a quick alternative to typing, especially on touchscreen devices. Microsoft now recommends Windows Hello PIN, face or fingerprint sign-in for new setups. Here is a recap of what to keep in mind.

• Using a picture password in Windows 11 provides a convenient way to sign in to your device. You find it under Settings › Accounts › Sign-in options.
• The process involves selecting a personal image and creating three unique gestures (circles, straight lines or taps) that are simple for you to remember.
• Once set up, picture passwords remove the need to type a long password at sign-in, and your account password still works as a fallback.
• This feature is available for both local and Microsoft accounts on Windows 11 version 22H2 and newer. Per Microsoft’s KB5101650 notes, new enrollment is no longer available, and existing picture passwords keep working.
• Choose an image and gestures that are meaningful to you, so they are simple to recall at sign-in.