Windows Hello is a security mechanism offered by Microsoft in compatible Windows PCs that allows customers to use biometric authentication mechanisms such as facial or iris recognition, fingerprint, or a PIN to access their accounts. Although it's a great feature when it works correctly, that is not always the case. Now, Microsoft has changed the way this feature works, and people aren't exactly pleased.
As spotted by Windows Central, Windows Hello hasn't been working as people would expect since at least April's Patch Tuesday update. Since then, the mechanism requires both an infrared (IR) sensor and a color webcam to function correctly. Previously, Windows Hello relied on IR sensors to create a 3D facial map, just like the iPhone.
IR sensors work quite well in low-light environments, but Microsoft does not allow customers to rely on them anymore due to a patch for a security vulnerability. It is important to note that most webcams don't illuminate the environment on their own and rely on external light. This essentially means that Windows Hello simply doesn't work in low-light environments for many users.
In our own testing, Windows Hello seems to be working in low warm light, shown below:
However, it now fails to work in an even dimmer environment, such as that with red light:
That said, it seems that Microsoft has not implemented the change perfectly. Users have reported that if they disable their webcam through Device Manager, Windows Hello falls back to using IR sensors only and continues to function the way it used to. While that may act as a workaround for users right now, it'll be interesting to see if Microsoft patches this loophole down the line, too; it certainly wouldn't be surprising now that it's more widely known.
Source: Windows Central
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