4 Step-by-Step Ways to Reset a Windows Hello PIN

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Learn how to change your Windows PIN, even if you forgot it

Co-authored by Hannah Dillon Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: June 25, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Resetting on the Login Screen
|
• Resetting in the Settings App
|
• Resetting a Microsoft Account
|
• Resetting a Local Account
|
• Video

|Show more |Show less

If you've forgotten your Windows Hello PIN or you simply want to change it for security reasons, there are a few ways you can go about it. In this article, we cover four ways you can change your Windows Hello PIN, including how to change it if you've forgotten your PIN and if you've forgotten your account password. Read on to learn more.

Ways to Reset a Windows Hello PIN

• Click I forgot my PIN on the login screen, then follow the on-screen instructions to set a new PIN.
• Open Windows Settings and go to Account > Sign-in options > PIN (Windows Hello) and click Change PIN. If you forgot your PIN, click I forgot my PIN instead.
• If you forgot your PIN and password, reset your Microsoft account or local account password before you can log in and change your PIN in the Settings app.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Resetting on the Login Screen

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1. 
   1
   Click I forgot my PIN on the login screen. If you don't see this option but you remember your password, log in with your password and reset your PIN in the Settings app. If you don't remember your password, jump to our section on that below.

   • Once you click this button, your computer's screen will refresh a few times. It may take a few moments for the next screen to be available.
2. 
   2
   Choose a passkey. To confirm that you're the account owner, you'll need to sign in with a different passkey. You have two options. If you can't use either of these options, you'll need to proceed as if you've forgotten your password.

   • iPhone, iPad, or Android device: If you've signed in to Outlook, Teams, or another Microsoft service on your phone and saved a passkey, you can use your mobile device to sign in to your Windows account.
   • Security key: If you've set up a security key using a different authenticator (like Google Authenticator), you can use that to sign in to your account.
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3. 
   3
   Click Continue. Once your identity has been confirmed, you'll move to a screen warning you about changing your PIN. There's nothing to worry about; if you have to set up a new PIN, you may just need to log in to certain accounts or services again once you get back into your account.
4. 
   4
   Enter a new PIN. You'll need to enter it twice, once under "New PIN" and once again under "Confirm PIN."

   • By default, your PIN can only include numbers. If you want to allow letters and symbols, tick the box next to "Include letters and symbols," then type your desired PIN.
5. 
   5
   Click OK. Your computer's screen may refresh a few times again, but you will be logged in with your new PIN. You can now use this Windows Hello PIN to sign in to your computer or to your Microsoft account across different services.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Resetting in the Settings App

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1. 
   1
   Open the Settings app. The fastest way to do this is to press ⊞ Win+I on your keyboard, but you can also open it by clicking on the Windows icon in your taskbar and selecting Settings.

   • If you can't sign in to your account or you don't remember your original PIN, you'll need to click "I forgot my PIN" on the login screen instead. If you don't see this option, you'll have to continue with the steps below if you forgot your password and PIN.
2. 
   2
   Click Accounts. It's in the left-hand sidebar, and it has a green icon of a person.
3. 
   3
   Click Sign-in options. It's under the "Account settings" header, and it has an icon of a key.
4. 
   4
   Click PIN (Windows Hello). It's the middle option on the list (depending on how many options you have), and it has an icon of a keypad, which looks like an array of 10 dots.
5. 
   5
   Click Change PIN. This will bring up a dialog box where you can change your PIN.

   • If you don't remember your PIN, click I forgot my PIN. You'll then be prompted to reset your PIN.
6. 
   6
   Type your old PIN and your new PIN. Your old PIN goes in the top box. Your new PIN should go in the next two boxes ("New PIN" and "Confirm PIN").

   • By default, your PIN can only include numbers. If you want to allow letters and symbols, tick the box next to "Include letters and symbols," then type your desired PIN.
7. 
   7
   Click OK. Your new PIN will be saved. You can now use this PIN to log in to your computer, or to sign in to your Microsoft account when prompted.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Resetting a Microsoft Account

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1. 
   1
   Click I forgot my password on the Microsoft sign-in page. This method will only work for Microsoft accounts. If you have a local account, jump to our local account steps below.
2. 
   2
   Choose whether to have a code texted or emailed to you. If you choose to get a code texted, you'll have to provide the last four digits of your phone number. If you choose to get a code emailed to you, you'll need to confirm your email address.
3. 
   3
   Enter the code that was texted or emailed to you. Click Next to continue.
4. 
   4
   Reset your password. You'll have to enter the new password twice. Click Next to continue, then follow the on-screen instructions to complete your password reset.

   • If the password reset option isn't working from the sign-in screen, you can also reset your password on Microsoft's website.
5. 
   5
   Sign in and reset your PIN. Once you've reset your password, you can then reset your PIN following these steps:

   • Open the Settings app.
   • Click Account > Sign-in options.
   • Select PIN (Windows Hello).
   • Click I forgot my PIN.
   • Click OK.
   • Create a new PIN.
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Resetting a Local Account

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1. 
   1
   Enter an incorrect password. When trying to sign into a local account that you don't remember the password of, you must start by entering the wrong password.
2. 
   2
   Click OK. This will bring you back to the sign-in screen.
3. 
   3
   Click Reset password. It's the bottom option under the password field.
4. 
   4
   Answer your security questions. When you created your local Windows account, you would have been prompted to set three security questions. To reset your account password, you'll need to answer these security questions. Type the answers in the respective fields, then click the arrow button to proceed.

   • If you can't remember the answers to your security questions, you can try to reset your password using a different administrator account on the PC. If you don't have access to another admin account, you'll need to reset your PC.
5. 
   5
   Reset your password. You'll have to enter the new password twice. Click the arrow button to set your new password.
6. 
   6
   Sign in and reset your PIN. Once you've reset your password, you can then reset your PIN following these steps:

   • Open the Settings app.
   • Click Account > Sign-in options.
   • Select PIN (Windows Hello).
   • Click I forgot my PIN.
   • Click OK.
   • Create a new PIN.
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