General Motors rolls out passkeys to 200,000 users

General Motors has implemented a large-scale passkey rollout for approximately 200,000 users to transition toward passwordless authentication. The company utilized Windows Hello for Business to treat managed Windows devices as passkeys, while using Platform SSO to extend similar device-based security to Mac users via the secure enclave.

The deployment followed a phased approach, starting with privileged roles through Microsoft Entra Privileged Identity Management, followed by pilot users, audit mode, and broader application coverage. To manage the removal of SMS-based onboarding, GM introduced Temporary Access Passes to allow new employees to register stronger authentication methods immediately.

Challenges identified during the rollout included the need for specialized authentication paths for manufacturing and call-center employees who may lack standard hardware, and the dependency of guest users on their own home tenants' capabilities. For business-to-business identities, administrators must coordinate with partner organizations to ensure guest populations can support required passkey methods before legacy authentication is disabled.