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Set up a Windows Hello fingerprint reader

Updated: 20.10.2026

You have a USB fingerprint reader that Windows can already see, and you want to set up a Windows Hello fingerprint reader without discovering halfway through that a PIN is still mandatory. This walkthrough follows Microsoft’s path for that case: create the PIN, add the finger, and learn how a small pad wants to be touched. The shelf is the [fingerprint scanner comparison](/hub/burglar-protection/fingerprint-scanner). Peter F. checked the click path against Microsoft’s note and the UK reviews in this set, updated from the listings of 19 October 2026. A qualifying amazon.co.uk purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a USB fingerprint reader that Windows can already see, and you want to set up a Windows Hello fingerprint reader without discovering halfway through that a PIN is still mandatory.

Our top picks

ARCANITE ARCANITE AKFSD-07

Best overall

ARCANITE ARCANITE AKFSD-07
8.0/10about £37.22
View offer
TNP Products TNP nano reader

Alternative

TNP Products TNP nano reader
6.6/10about £29.99
View offer
JIAN BOLAND JIANBOLAND 1.5 m Hello reader

Best value

JIAN BOLAND JIANBOLAND 1.5 m Hello reader
7.0/10about £25.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Set the PIN before the finger
  2. 2.Sign-in options, then fingerprint
  3. 3.How to lay the finger on a small pad
  4. 4.A second person means a second Windows account
  5. 5.Stop here if Windows cannot see the reader

Set the PIN before the finger

Windows Hello treats the fingerprint as another way in, and it still wants a PIN on the account. The National Cyber Security Centre’s advice is that the fallback has to be strong enough to use by itself. Choose a PIN you can type when your hands are wet, cold, or dusty, because those are the mornings the pad refuses you. A UK review on a JIANBOLAND reader complains that Windows 11 still asks for the PIN as well as the finger. That review is describing Windows Hello. The finger does not replace the PIN or your Microsoft account password. If a guide tells you to weaken BitLocker or a BIOS password so a dongle will enrol, stop.

Sign-in options, then fingerprint

Plug the reader into a USB port on the PC before you open Settings. On Windows 11, open Settings, then Accounts, then Sign-in options. Add a fingerprint and follow the prompts. Windows asks you to confirm the PIN, then to place the finger, lift it, and place it again until enrolment completes. Windows 10 uses the same idea under Sign-in options. If the fingerprint section is missing while the reader is in a port on the PC, you have left this path. One VBESTLIFE review describes fingerprint devices as off until they were enabled. The KamKorda listing prints a mega.nz link for a Windows 11 driver. That link is a risk to avoid, not a step to follow.
ARCANITE ARCANITE AKFSD-07

Testsieger

ARCANITE ARCANITE AKFSD-07
8.0/10about £37.22
View offer

How to lay the finger on a small pad

These pads are small. The ARCANITE body is 2.1 × 1.7 × 1.2 cm, and the TNP is 21 mm by 17 mm. On the JIANBOLAND listing with 320 ratings, a UK reviewer said the Windows prompt suggested a swipe, and a flat press worked better. The Anskyloe listing also says to place the finger flat. Rest the pad of the finger, hold still, then lift clear before the next scan. Use a dry finger. Moisturiser, a wet hand, and a cold finger are usual reasons a known print fails. Enrol the same finger twice if Windows offers another slot, and cover the middle of the pad. Seller timings such as 0.05 seconds are marketing lines.

A second person means a second Windows account

A second person needs a second Windows account if you want their files and their PIN kept apart. Enrolling their finger on your account gives them your login. Most USB listings here say up to 10 fingerprints. The TNP says up to 5, so two fingers each runs out sooner on that dongle. Create the other account first, give it a PIN, sign in as that person, and add their fingerprint with the same Settings path. The reader stores templates for the account that is signed in. Sharing one Microsoft account means sharing one login.

Stop here if Windows cannot see the reader

If Sign-in options has no fingerprint section after a direct USB connection, more clicking here will not create a sensor. On Windows 11 the usual cause in this set is Enhanced Sign-in Security blocking a reader whose listing never stated that mode. The enhanced sign-in security page explains the toggle and the passkeys you lose if you turn it off. The first test should use a port on the computer. A front socket on a tower is a placement question, on the desktop fingerprint reader page. If the finger still fails after a flat, dry enrolment, add the same finger again. On a workplace PC, ask IT before you change sign-in policy.

Common questions

Where do you add a fingerprint in Windows 11?
Open Settings, then Accounts, then Sign-in options, and add a fingerprint once Windows shows the control. Confirm the PIN when asked, then follow the lifts on screen. The same area is where you remove a bad enrolment. If the control is missing, the Enhanced Sign-in Security page is the next stop.
Why does setup demand a PIN first?
Hello is built so the biometric unlock has a fallback when the sensor fails. Microsoft includes the PIN in setup, and the NCSC expects that fallback to stand alone. A reader that still asks for a PIN after a successful enrolment is following that design. Pick a PIN you can remember without writing it on the monitor.
Do you swipe or press?
Press flat, then lift. A UK review of the cabled JIANBOLAND said the prompt suggested a swipe and a flat press matched more reliably. The Anskyloe listing says to place the finger flat. These nano pads are about the size of a fingernail, so a swipe walks the print off the sensor.
Can two people enrol on one PC?
They can, on separate Windows accounts, each with a PIN and a finger added while that account is signed in. Most readers here claim up to 10 fingerprints, and the TNP claims 5. Adding someone else’s finger to your account gives them your session.
What if the reader never appears?
Use a USB port on the PC, and enable external fingerprint devices if Settings shows that switch. If the fingerprint section is still missing on Windows 11, follow Microsoft’s warning about passkeys before you change Enhanced Sign-in Security. Do not download a driver from a link printed in a listing bullet.

Related pages

Fingerprint scanner buying guide

Fingerprint scanner

Best Windows Hello fingerprint reader for a home PC

Enhanced sign-in security for a fingerprint reader

Fingerprint reader for a desktop PC under the desk

Sources

Public UK sources for this comparison, last checked on 19.10.2026. Prices and star lines are from the amazon.co.uk listings on that date.

  1. ICO: biometric data for time and access control (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  2. ICO: how to process biometric data lawfully (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  3. Microsoft Support: third-party fingerprint readers and Windows Hello (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  4. Microsoft Learn: Windows Hello biometric requirements (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  5. Microsoft Learn: Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  6. NCSC: using biometrics (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  7. Kensington UK: VeriMark Desktop 2.0 (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 19.10.2026)