Configure Windows Hello Minimum PIN Length with Regedit

Windows Hello offers a convenient and secure way to sign in to Windows devices, but administrators and security-conscious users may want to enforce stronger security by increasing the required PIN length. This guide explains how to configure the minimum PIN length for Windows Hello on Windows 10 and Windows 11 using the Windows Registry Editor (Regedit).

Step 1: Open the Registry Editor

  1. Press Windows Key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type regedit into the box and press Enter or click OK.
  3. If prompted by User Account Control (UAC), click Yes to grant administrative permissions.

Step 2: Navigate to the PIN Complexity Key

In the Registry Editor address bar at the top, paste the following path and press Enter:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft

Step 3: Create the Required Keys (If Missing)

If the required subkeys do not already exist, you will need to create them: 1. Right-click on the Microsoft folder, select New, and click Key. Name this key PassportForWork. 2. Right-click on the newly created PassportForWork key, select New, and click Key. Name this key PINComplexity.

The complete path should now be: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork\PINComplexity

Step 4: Create and Configure the MinimumPINLength Value

  1. Select the PINComplexity key in the left pane.
  2. Right-click in the empty space in the right pane, select New, and choose DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  3. Name the new value MinimumPINLength and press Enter.
  4. Double-click the MinimumPINLength value to edit it.
  5. In the Edit window, select the Decimal option under the Base section.
  6. In the Value data field, enter your desired minimum PIN length (for example, 6 or 8). The system accepts values from 4 up to 127.
  7. Click OK to save the changes.

Step 5: Apply the Changes

Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer. The next time a user sets up or changes their Windows Hello PIN, Windows will enforce the newly configured minimum length requirement. Existing PINs will remain active until the user changes them or a PIN expiration policy is applied.