If you sign into your Microsoft account on a public or shared computer, you need to know this

Microsoft has quietly announced a significant change to the sign in/out process for Microsoft accounts. The change could have massive security implications for many people.

As of next month, when you sign into your Microsoft account, you will remain signed in until you opt to sign out manually. At the moment the (arguably more secure) approach sees users signed out automatically after a period of inactivity, helping to protect anyone using a public computer.

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Microsoft has given no information about the reasons for the change which, on the face of things, seem to represent a reduction in security. The company suggests using a private browsing window to avoid staying signed in, or to make use of the option to sign out of all locations should you forget to either manually sign out of a particular device or neglect to use a private session.

In a support document, Microsoft says:

The web browser sign-in experience is changing when you sign in to any product or service using your Microsoft account. Starting in February 2025, you will stay signed in automatically unless you sign out or use private browsing.

If you sign in on your own computer, your browser will remember your sign-in information, but if you sign in on a computer, phone or tablet that doesn't belong to you, or is accessed by other people, you should [...] use a private browsing window instead.

Using private browsing or remembering to sign out will be new behaviors for many people, and this is why Microsoft points to the option to sign out of your Microsoft account everywhere. But this is hardly an ideal option for the forgetful computer user. Not only does it mean having to sign back into various devices, Microsoft also points out that “sign out may take up to 24 hours”.

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