How to Setup Face Recognition with Windows Hello?

Windows 10 provides many options to log in to your computer. It allows you to log-in using Microsoft account, local admin password, PIN number, image pattern, fingerprint and also through face recognition. All the options are pretty easy to understand. The fingerprint reading and facial recognition features are part of Windows Hello feature.

Similar to Apple iPhone X, face recognition feature in Windows Hello allows you to unlock and signin to your laptop. Windows Hello uses the IR (Infrared) or Intel RealSense camera of your laptop to unlock your device.

Setup Face Recognition in Windows Hello

As you know this feature requires an IR (Infrared) camera in your laptop. So, this is the first condition that your laptop must have an IR camera. IR camera has mostly seen in the new laptops so, this might not work with old ones. If your laptop does not have that then you can buy an IR webcam but they are quite expensive too. But, cheaper than buying a new laptop, it’s your choice.

To check the compatibility of your current laptop’s camera and to set up facial recognition:

• Press the ‘Windows‘ key to open the ‘Start’ menu.
• Type ‘Settings’ and hit ‘Enter’ key from the keyboard to open the ‘Settings’ app (or you can use Cortana search to open Settings).
• Navigate to the ‘Accounts > Sign-in Options’. Here, you’ll all the options to sign-in to your laptop.
• Under the section ‘Windows Hello’, make sure there is no error. There might be an error which says “Windows Hello isn’t available on this device”. Click on the link ‘See how it works and finds compatible devices’ to find all the compatible devices.

• Now, if you didn’t see any such error there, then your laptop might be compatible with Windows Hello. There must be a ‘Set up’ button under ‘Face’ similar to while setting up the fingerprint sensor.
• Click on the ‘Set up’ option and it brings you a small popup right there.

• In the ‘Windows Hello Setup’ windows, click on the button ‘Get started’.

• If you have set up a PIN number password, then enter it in next popup ‘Make sure it’s you’.
• Keep looking at your webcam directly until the process is not complete.
• Click on the ‘Improve Recognition’ button to add more scans or ‘Close’ the popup.

• If you wear spectacles regularly, then we recommend adding more scans with or without them on your face. Also, try to add scans with different angles of your face.
• In the end, make sure the option ‘Automatically unlock the screen if we recognize your face’ is ‘On’. If this option is not ‘On’, Windows will not unlock your device automatically instead it will ask you to do this manually by clicking with the mouse or pressing a keyboard key.

• For another level security, you can turn ‘On’ the feature which requires your head to turn left and right to unlock the screen.

Testing

To check whether it’s working or not:

• Press ‘Win + L’ shortcut keys to lock the screen or you can logout or restart your PC.
• When at login screen, look at the screen and it should do the job perfectly.