Microsoft has a new app in the works that will make it even easier to log in to a Windows 10 PC.
Discovered by Twitter user WalkingCat, the company is currently testing a new version of its Authenticator app that would unlock a Windows 10 computer via the smartphone's Bluetooth.
Dubbed "Phone Sign-in Beta," the app allows users to sign in to their nearby PC by pairing Bluetooth and then tapping on the computer to unlock it.
The app is still in beta, but Microsoft revealed that future versions will support "Microsoft accounts, a sign-in solution for browsers and VPN, one-time passcode generation, and MFA approval through notifications."
app: Phone Sign-in Beta https://t.co/4HtNplVQUC says it can unlock Windows 10 PC by tapping on it pic.twitter.com/reJ5ckiOtR
— WalkingCat (@h0x0d) March 9, 2016
Even though this app would help making logging in to a Windows 10 PC easy as a tap, it's not guaranteed that the user will be able to run the computer without having some form of credentials.
Microsoft first launched its Authenticator app back in 2013 to serve as an extra layer of security for accounts. The current version of the app works by generating codes to authenticate sign-ins.
The new app is only in beta now, and it appears it can only be downloaded on Lumia smartphones that are running Insider Preview build 14267.
While passwords are crucial for security and privacy, entering them continuously can be a pain.
Windows 10's Windows Hello makes this process a little more pain-free by featuring various log-in options, such as fingerprint, facial and iris recognition technology that will unlock the computer.
Allowing users to sign in to their computers over Bluetooth makes it that much more seamless to stay connected in the Microsoft ecosystem.
It's likely that the Phone Sign-in Beta app will only be available on Windows 10 Mobile devices, since the company doesn't have its authenticator app available for iOS and Android.
In related Microsoft news, the company released a new set up updates for Windows 10 apps earlier this week. These include an update to Mail and Calander, MSN News, MSN Money, MSN Weather and MSN Sports. The updates reportedly fix errors or bugs to help them run more smoothly on a PC. These apps can be updated in the Microsoft store for those on the new operating system.
Source: The Verge
Photo: Mike Mozart | Flickr
