Windows hello face unlock stops working in dark rooms

Microsoft’s Windows Hello face unlock feature no longer works in dark rooms, and it’s not a glitch. The company made this change in April 2025 to fix a security issue that made it easier for hackers to trick the system. Now, Windows Hello needs a color camera to see your face clearly, in addition to the infrared (IR) sensors it used before. This means it can’t recognize you in low-light settings anymore.

The update improves security by making it harder for someone to unlock your device with a photo or fake image. However, it’s frustrating for users who liked signing in quickly in dim environments. Microsoft says you can still use Windows Hello in the dark if you turn off your webcam in Windows 11’s Device Manager. But this stops the camera from working in apps like video calls, which isn’t ideal for most people.

Some users have shared this workaround online, but it’s not a perfect fix. If you rely on your webcam for other tasks, you’ll need to choose between face unlock in the dark or using your camera normally. Microsoft hasn’t said if they’ll bring back the ability to use face unlock in low light. For now, users in dark rooms might need to rely on a PIN or password instead.