How to Add a Picture Password to your Account in Windows 10


You can sign in to your PC with a picture password. You choose the picture and the three gestures you use with it to create a password that's uniquely yours. When you have chose a picture, you "draw" with the mouse, touchpad, or pin/finger on a touchscreen to create a combination of circles, straight lines, and taps. The size, position, and direction of your gestures become part of your picture password.

This tutorial will show you how to add a picture password to your account in Windows 10.

Enabling passwordless sign-in will remove the password and picture password sign-in options for all Microsoft accounts on the sign-in screen and in Accounts > Sign-in options > Settings.

You can create a picture password for a local account and Microsoft account.

A local account must have a password to be able to add a picture password. A Microsoft account will be password protected by default.

By default, PCs joined to a domain can sign in using a picture password unless disabled via policy.

You can click/tap on the Sign-on options link on the Sign-in screen to change what (ex: Picture password, password, PIN, Face, Fingerprint) to use to sign-in to your account with.

When you boot to Safe Mode, you will only be able to sign in with your account's password, and not with any other sign-in option.



EXAMPLE: Picture password on Sign-in screen
Add Picture Password to your Account in Windows 10-sign-in_picture_password.jpg



Here's How:

1 Open Settings, and click/tap on the Accounts icon.

2 Click/tap on Sign-in options on the left side, click/tap on Picture password on the right side, and click/tap on the Add button. (see screenshot below)

Add Picture Password to your Account in Windows 10-picture_password-1.png

3 Enter your account's password to verify it's you, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

Add Picture Password to your Account in Windows 10-picture_password-2.png

4 Click/tap on Choose picture in the left pane. (see screenshot below)

Add Picture Password to your Account in Windows 10-picture_password-3.jpg

5 Navigate to and select the picture file you want to use, and click/tap on Open. (see screenshot below)

Add Picture Password to your Account in Windows 10-picture_password-4.png

6 Drag your picture to position it the way you want, and click/tap on Use this picture when finished. (see screenshot below)

If you want to use a different picture, then click/tap on Choose new picture and repeat step 5 above until you have a picture you want to use.

Add Picture Password to your Account in Windows 10-picture_password-5.jpg

7 Draw the first gesture on your picture. (see screenshot below)

You can use any combination of circles, straight lines, and taps.

If you make a mistake, then you can click/tap on Start over to return to step 7.

Add Picture Password to your Account in Windows 10-picture_password-6.jpg

8 Draw the second gesture on your picture. (see screenshot below)

You can use any combination of circles, straight lines, and taps.

If you make a mistake, then you can click/tap on Start over to return to step 7.

Add Picture Password to your Account in Windows 10-picture_password-7.jpg

9 Draw the third gesture on your picture. (see screenshot below)

You can use any combination of circles, straight lines, and taps.

If you make a mistake, then you can click/tap on Start over to return to step 7.

Add Picture Password to your Account in Windows 10-picture_password-8.jpg

10 You will now need to repeat steps 7 to 9 above to draw the same three gestures again to confirm them. (see screenshot below)

Add Picture Password to your Account in Windows 10-picture_password-9.jpg

11 If successful, click/tap on Finish. (see screenshot below)

Add Picture Password to your Account in Windows 10-picture_password-10.jpg

12 Your picture password has now been added as a sign-in option. You can now close Settings if you like.


That's it,
Shawn