Discover Microsoft's Stunning New Sign-In UI with Dark Mode and Passwordless Features!

Microsoft Revamps Sign-In Experience

Microsoft is rolling out a brand new sign-in screen for over a billion users accessing services like Outlook, Windows, Xbox, and Microsoft 365. This updated authentication screen is crafted using Microsoft’s Fluent 2 design language and introduces a dark mode adorned with Xbox colors.

Enhanced Authentication Process

The redesign places a significant emphasis on passwordless authentication. According to Robin Goldstein, partner director of product management for Microsoft Identity, "Our new UX is optimized for a passwordless and passkey-first experience." This improvement reduces the number of concepts per screen, lowering cognitive load and speeding up the authentication process, while also re-ordering steps for better logical flow.

Automatic Dark Mode

The simplified design features both light and dark themes, which are automatically enabled based on device settings. Goldstein notes that "the first place to see this will be on Gaming apps," with other consumer applications to follow.

Rollout Timeline

Xbox users will start experiencing this new sign-in interface on the web and mobile soon, with full updates expected throughout March and April. The web and mobile apps will receive the new user experience first, followed by Windows apps.

Focus on Consumer Profiles

This redesign is tailored specifically for consumer profiles, with no changes to Microsoft Entra work and school accounts. However, insights gained from these updates could influence future improvements for Microsoft Entra and its external ID account experiences.

Future Sign-In Updates

This new sign-in UI aligns with Microsoft’s intentions to automatically keep users signed in to their accounts. Although there was a recent notification to Outlook.com users regarding a potential account change, Microsoft later clarified that it was a mistake. Updates on further sign-in changes are still pending.