Passwords can be intercepted or stolen, perhaps compromised through phishing. But the PIN is tied to the hardware it was set up on. If someone steals your password, they can access your account from anywhere, but if they steal your PIN they would have to also have access to the device it was set up on.
If you forget the PIN on your Windows 10 PC or Laptop you can still sign in by switching to ‘Other User’ and entering your username and password, but you’ll want to reset the PIN to continue to use it. Resetting is simple.
Reset your Windows Hello PIN
Click on the Start menu and search for ‘Sign In Options’
Select Windows Hello PIN and click ‘I forgot my PIN’
You’ll be asked if you are sure – click ‘Continue’
You’ll be asked to Sign In using your normal password and approve using 2 Factor Authentication if you have this set up (See our blog Why Use Multi Factor Authentication for more details on that) and then you’ll have the option to set a new PIN. You may need to sign out and back in again after you have reset it.
For more details on Windows Hello and why a PIN is more secure than a password, see this great Microsoft article on the subject, Why a PIN is better than a password
