I’m using Bitwarden 2023.9.3 on Windows 11.
In File > Settings, I have “Start automatically on login”, “Unlock with Windows Hello” and “Ask for Windows Hello on launch” all checked. However, although Bitwarden starts at Windows login, the Hello biometric window does not appear. I still have to click on “Unlock with Windows Hello” button at the Bitwarden launch window to get it to appear.
I’m sure the Hello window used to appear automatically on Bitwarden launch previously. I’m not sure when I first spotted the change and whether it’s related to a Bitwarden update or Windows update. (Of course, it could be I’ve inadvertently checked/unchecked another setting which prevents the Hello window launching!)
The Bitwarden browser plug-in I also use does immediately open the biometric Hello window when I first click on the plug-in.
Any suggestions as to how I can get the main desktop Bitwarden app to behave as I’m expecting it to?
I had searched before posting my message, and I’d seen this other user’s problem and solution. The symptoms they had weren’t the same as mine, and unfortunately their solution didn’t seem to have any effect on the problem I’m seeing. Running BitWarden as an admin level app didn’t change any of the behaviour I saw.
This is not a major problem. Obviously I can achieve what I want with one more mouse click. But it used to operate very slickly indeed without the need for mouse clicking. The overall sequence in the past would typically be -
Start my PC
Login to Windows using fingerprint biometric for Windows Hello
Three apps were set to autorun: anti-virus, email client and Bitwarden
As soon as Bitwarden launched it would pop up the Windows Hello fingerprint biometric window, I’d tap my fingerprint reader and my vaults would open.
I have two vaults. One is my own personal data, and the other is an organisation shared with one other individual who, like me, has the status of ‘owner’ for this organisation vault.
I’m not sure what other information might be helpful to anyone to identify the overall problem.
This solution does not work for me. In Windows 11 with Version 2025.7.0 the desktop application never asks for Windows Hello when starting, no matter what I do.
Ok, I realized the problem:
When Bitwarden is configured to start minimized, it will never ask for Windows Hello. It has to be started with its main window opened.
So this leaves me with two options:
either Start minimized and automatically - but I have to click the unlock button manually
or start with the main window open - but then it will stay open until I minimize it.
However - the desktop is is required when I want to use Windows Hello in the browser plugin. So the whole process is really cumbersome…
Start the desktop application which asks to unlock - otherwise unlocking with Windows Hello in the browser won’t work.
Tap the fingerprint reader.
Start the browser.
Open the browser extension and click the button to unlock with biometrics.
Bring the Windows Hello window to the front since it will always(!) open in the background when the browser plugin requests an authentication.
Tap the fingerprint reader again.
This way the whole integration of Windows Hello is mostly useless for me. Entering the master passwort in the browser extension is way simpler - because then I don’t have to start the desktop application first. If the technical limitations of browser plugins require this complicated way I won’t use Windows Hello any longer for Bitwarden.