Picture password is a feature introduced in Windows that lets you create three gestures on an image of your choice and use them as your password. The gesture can be any combination of circles, straight lines, and taps. For example, if the picture was a face, your picture password could be a tap on each eye and then circle around the mouth. In this post, we will present the solution to the issue of Picture password option under Sign-in options is missing or isn’t available after you enable it in Group Policy in Windows 11/10.
Let’s take a look at a typical scenario where you can encounter this anomaly.
In Windows 11/10, assume that you have applied one of the following Group Policy Objects (GPOs) configurations under:
Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/System/Logon
Configuration 1
| Turn on convenience PIN sign-in | Not Configured |
| Turn off picture password sign-in | Enabled |
Configuration 2
| Turn on convenience PIN sign-in | Disabled |
| Turn off picture password sign-in | Disabled |
You can track the following registry key to make sure the configuration is applied to clients under the registry path:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System
Registry key 1
BlockDomainPicturePassword: REG_DWORD: 1
Registry key 2
BlockDomainPicturePassword: REG_DWORD: 0
After the configuration is applied to the client, the Picture password option under Sign-in options isn’t available.
Picture password sign-in option not available
If the Picture password sign-in option doesn’t appear in Windows 11/10, even after enabling it in Group Policy, follow these steps.
To see the Picture password and the PIN options, you must enable PIN in the domain for the first time. To do this, set the GPO to the following:
| Turn on convenience PIN sign-in | Enabled |
| Turn off picture password sign-in | Enabled |
Here’s how:
- Press Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.
- In the Run dialog box type gpedit.msc and press Enter to open Group Policy Editor.
- Inside the Local Group Policy Editor, use the left pane to navigate to the path below:
Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/System/Logon
- On the right pane, double-click on Turn on convenience PIN sign-in policy to edit its properties.
- With the policy properties window open, set the radio button to Enabled.
- Click Apply > OK to save the changes.
- Next, still on the right pane, double-click on Turn off picture password sign-in policy to edit its properties.
- With the policy properties window open, set the radio button to Enabled.
- Click Apply > OK to save the changes. You can now exit Local Group Policy Editor.
After the PIN option is enabled, even if you disable the PIN option again, the Picture password option is still available.
If the Picture password sign-in option is not available in Windows 11, you must check another setting in the Windows Settings panel. If you enable this setting, you won’t see the Picture password option. On the other hand, you may not be able to remove the PIN as well.
Therefore, follow these steps to disable the Picture password option. First, you need to open the Windows Settings by pressing Win+I. Then, go to Accounts > Sign-in options.
Next, find the For improved security, only allow Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts on this device setting. If it is turned on, toggle the corresponding button to turn it off.
Once done, you can restart the Windows Settings to get back the Picture password option.
Read: Set or Change Sign in options like Password, PIN, Picture Password in Windows
Does Windows 11 have Picture password?
Yes, Windows 11 includes a Picture password option that you can use to sign in to your computer. However, if you cannot find the Picture password option, follow the steps above to restore it. In simple words, you need to disable the For improved security, only allow Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts on this device setting.
Read: Web sign-in, Faster sign-in, Biometrics login in Windows
How do you put a password on photos on Windows 11?
To enable the Picture password option on Windows 11, you need to follow this guide. Open Windows Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options. Then, select the Picture password option and choose an image. After that, you need to select the gestures based on your requirements.
