Microsoft’s Home windows Hey face unlock function now not works in darkish rooms, and it’s not a bug. Microsoft quietly made the change to Home windows Hey in April, as a way to repair a vulnerability with Home windows Hey spoofing. Fixing the safety flaw has now eliminated key performance from Home windows Hey in Home windows 11.
Windows Central spotted April’s change after some Floor Laptop computer customers have observed they’ll now not use their face to signal into their laptop computer in a darkish room. “After putting in this replace or a later Home windows replace, for enhanced safety, Home windows Hey facial recognition requires coloration cameras to see a visual face when signing in,” says Microsoft in its April Home windows Replace patch notes.
You may get Home windows Hey to proceed working in a darkish room in case you disable your webcam within the Home windows 11 Gadget Supervisor, however then this implies you may’t use your digicam in any apps or video calls. It’s a workaround in case you solely use the digicam to unlock your laptop computer, however most individuals will need the digicam to perform inside video calling apps.
Microsoft makes use of a mixture of the colour digicam and IR sensors to detect a face for its Home windows Hey function. The security vulnerability, found by the Nanyang Technological College, was rated “essential” by Microsoft, and hasn’t been publicly disclosed or exploited. Microsoft even suggests it’s “much less doubtless” {that a} malicious actor would exploit this regionally on a tool.
We’ve reached out to Microsoft to see whether or not the corporate would possibly get Home windows Hey working at midnight once more sooner or later, and we’ll replace you accordingly.