Windows Hello for Business Deployment Prerequisite Overview

This article lists the infrastructure requirements for the different deployment models for Windows Hello for Business.

Cloud Only Deployment

  • Windows 10, version 1511 or later, or Windows 11
  • Microsoft Azure Account
  • Azure Active Directory
  • Azure AD Multifactor Authentication
  • Modern Management (Intune or supported third-party MDM), optional
  • Azure AD Premium subscription - optional, needed for automatic MDM enrollment when the device joins Azure Active Directory

Hybrid Deployments

The table shows the minimum requirements for each deployment. For key trust in a multi-domain/multi-forest deployment, the following requirements are applicable for each domain/forest that hosts Windows Hello for business components or is involved in the Kerberos referral process.

Key trust
Group Policy managed		 Certificate trust
Mixed managed		 Key trust
Modern managed		 Certificate trust
Modern managed
Windows 10, version 1511 or later Hybrid Azure AD Joined:
Minimum: Windows 10, version 1703
Best experience: Windows 10, version 1709 or later (supports synchronous certificate enrollment).
Azure AD Joined:
Windows 10, version 1511 or later		 Windows 10, version 1511 or later Windows 10, version 1511 or later
Windows Server 2016 or later Schema Windows Server 2016 or later Schema Windows Server 2016 or later Schema Windows Server 2016 or later Schema
Windows Server 2008 R2 Domain/Forest functional level Windows Server 2008 R2 Domain/Forest functional level Windows Server 2008 R2 Domain/Forest functional level Windows Server 2008 R2 Domain/Forest functional level
Windows Server 2016 or later Domain Controllers Windows Server 2008 R2 or later Domain Controllers Windows Server 2016 or later Domain Controllers Windows Server 2008 R2 or later Domain Controllers
Windows Server 2012 or later Certificate Authority Windows Server 2012 or later Certificate Authority Windows Server 2012 or later Certificate Authority Windows Server 2012 or later Certificate Authority
N/A Windows Server 2016 AD FS with KB4088889 update (hybrid Azure AD joined clients),
and
Windows Server 2012 or later Network Device Enrollment Service (Azure AD joined)		 N/A Windows Server 2012 or later Network Device Enrollment Service
Azure MFA tenant, or
AD FS w/Azure MFA adapter, or
AD FS w/Azure MFA Server adapter, or
AD FS w/3rd Party MFA Adapter		 Azure MFA tenant, or
AD FS w/Azure MFA adapter, or
AD FS w/Azure MFA Server adapter, or
AD FS w/3rd Party MFA Adapter		 Azure MFA tenant, or
AD FS w/Azure MFA adapter, or
AD FS w/Azure MFA Server adapter, or
AD FS w/3rd Party MFA Adapter		 Azure MFA tenant, or
AD FS w/Azure MFA adapter, or
AD FS w/Azure MFA Server adapter, or
AD FS w/3rd Party MFA Adapter
Azure Account Azure Account Azure Account Azure Account
Azure Active Directory Azure Active Directory Azure Active Directory Azure Active Directory
Azure AD Connect Azure AD Connect Azure AD Connect Azure AD Connect
Azure AD Premium, optional Azure AD Premium, needed for device write-back Azure AD Premium, optional for automatic MDM enrollment Azure AD Premium, optional for automatic MDM enrollment

Important

  1. Hybrid deployments support non-destructive PIN reset that works with both the certificate trust and key trust models.
    Requirements:
    Microsoft PIN Reset Service - Windows 10, versions 1709 to 1809, Enterprise Edition. There is no licensing requirement for this service since version 1903
    Reset above lock screen (I forgot my PIN link) - Windows 10, version 1903

  2. On-premises deployments support destructive PIN reset that works with both the certificate trust and the key trust models.
    Requirements:
    Reset from settings - Windows 10, version 1703, Professional
    Reset above lock screen - Windows 10, version 1709, Professional
    Reset above lock screen (I forgot my PIN link) - Windows 10, version 1903

On-premises Deployments

The table shows the minimum requirements for each deployment.

Key trust
Group Policy managed		 Certificate trust
Group Policy managed
Windows 10, version 1703 or later Windows 10, version 1703 or later
Windows Server 2016 Schema Windows Server 2016 Schema
Windows Server 2008 R2 Domain/Forest functional level Windows Server 2008 R2 Domain/Forest functional level
Windows Server 2016 or later Domain Controllers Windows Server 2008 R2 or later Domain Controllers
Windows Server 2012 or later Certificate Authority Windows Server 2012 or later Certificate Authority
Windows Server 2016 AD FS with KB4088889 update Windows Server 2016 AD FS with KB4088889 update
AD FS with 3rd Party MFA Adapter AD FS with 3rd Party MFA Adapter
Azure Account, optional for Azure MFA billing Azure Account, optional for Azure MFA billing

Important

For Windows Hello for Business key trust deployments, if you have several domains, at least one Windows Server Domain Controller 2016 or newer is required for each domain. For more information, see the planning guide.