Windows 11 Will Stop Making You Wait for Face Unlock - Plus 5 Fixes for Slow Windows Hello Today

Windows 11 will soon stop making you wait for face unlock to fail before you can type your PIN.

The change is in a Windows Insider test build released on 6 November, and Microsoft hasn't said when it reaches everyone.

Here is what changes, how to get it, and five fixes for a slow Windows Hello you can use today.

What Microsoft Is Changing

Today, if your laptop has a face-recognition camera, Windows tries your face first and you wait for it to give up before the PIN box is ready.

In a dark room or with new glasses, that wait gets old fast.

In the new build, you can type your PIN while the camera is still looking at you. In Microsoft's own words, you can "use whichever method works first."

• After a restart, the PIN comes first. Windows still asks for your PIN once after every restart, then face and fingerprint work as normal.
• Clearer messages. The lock screen now says "Look at the camera or enter your PIN," and a failed face scan offers a "Retry face sign-in" button.
• No setting to turn on. It simply works once the build is installed, although Microsoft is rolling it out gradually.

How to Get It Now - and Why You Might Wait

The change is in Experimental build 26340.9882. To join, open Settings, go to Windows Update, then Windows Insider Program, pick the Experimental channel and check for updates.

If you are still on an older version of Windows 11, catching up on normal updates first is the better move. Our guide on getting Windows 11 26H2 when it isn't showing up walks you through it.

5 Fixes for a Slow Windows Hello Today

1. Skip the wait yourself. Under the face prompt on the sign-in screen, click Sign-in options and pick the PIN icon - you don't have to wait for the scan to fail.
2. Run Improve recognition. Go to Settings, Accounts, Sign-in options, Facial recognition (Windows Hello), and choose Improve recognition - do it once with glasses and once without.
3. Set it up again from scratch. On the same page, choose Remove, restart, then set up face recognition again in normal room light.
4. Clean the camera. Wipe the small dark window above the screen with a soft cloth - the infrared sensor next to the webcam is easy to smudge.
5. Update the camera driver. Open Settings, Windows Update, Advanced options, Optional updates, and install any camera or biometric driver listed there.

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