Summary: The latest Windows 11 update seems to have caused Windows Hello to no longer function properly. After the update, people are forced to open the privacy shutter on their cameras to unlock their computers.
Updates, they’re supposed to make your system function better. However, some updates do the opposite, which leaves users with no choice but to either find workarounds or wait for a new update to turn things around. It’s not the worst thing when something small is broken, but it can be an issue when it affects something core to the user experience.
This is something that happened with the latest Windows 11 update. For some reason, people are having a hard time just logging in to their computers thanks to Windows 11 24H2’s April patch. It’s even worse for privacy-focused individuals.
The latest Windows 11 update is causing an issue with Windows Hello
Microsoft names its facial recognition technology “Windows Hello”, and a large number of people choose to use it. It’s an easy way of logging in to your computer. However, some users are having trouble getting into their computers after the latest update.
The company’s latest cumulative update (KB5055523) has caused Windows Hello to go on the fritz. It didn’t outright break Windows Hello. Rather, it broke one of its most impressive features. Windows Hello doesn’t use your webcam. Rather, it uses an infrared sensor on your camera to scan your face. So, it doesn’t use light data.
This is a boon for people who like their privacy, as it allows people to use it while keeping the privacy shutter over their camera. The IR light goes through the shutter, so you don’t have to show your face.
However, the update has caused this function to malfunction. It’s no longer able to scan faces through the shutter. So, if you have a privacy shutter, you’ll have to open it if you want to log in to your computer.
People were able to reproduce this issue on an HP Spectre laptop using a Logitech Brio 4k. This was after several clean installs, so the issue definitely came in with the latest update. At this point, if you’ve been affected by this issue, then you’ll need to wait for Microsoft to fix it in a subsequent release.
