Microsoft Authenticator’s autofill feature is coming to an end. Now what?

Do you know you have 30 minutes? 30, 30, 30, yes.

Users who depend on autofill to store their passwords in the Microsoft Authenticator app should get ready to say their goodbyes as the beloved feature counts its days.

Wait, what? For those out of the loop, Microsoft said earlier this year it would discontinue autofill in Microsoft Authenticator in July in a bid to consolidate its credential management features in Microsoft Edge, the company’s AI-powered browser. The suspension is set to occur in three phrases:

• Starting this month, Microsoft said users will be unable to add or import new passwords in the Microsoft Authenticator app. It noted that users could continue to save passwords in autofull until the next phase in its transition.
• In July, autofill will be discontinued in Microsoft Authenticator.
• In August, saved passwords will no longer be accessible in Microsoft Authenticator.

Well, what now? To all the hardcore autofill fans out there, all is not lost. Microsoft said the functionality will continue to be accessible through Edge. Users can also use alternative password managers, such as Google Password Manager or iCloud Keychain, by setting them as their default autofill provider in their phone settings.

Passkey? Check! Microsoft said Authenticator will still continue to support passkeys. Passkeys set up through Authenticator will need the app to remain enabled as a passkey provider in order for them to work.

On World Password Day, the company emphasized its commitment to forgo passwords, stating it had joined the FIDO Alliance in recognizing the industry holiday as World Passkey Day and that new Microsoft accounts would be “passwordless by default” moving forward.

“Although passwords have been around for centuries, we hope their reign over our online world is ending,” the company wrote in the May 1 blog post.