Users with supported devices should agree with this, but Windows Hello’s facial recognition is one of the best and biggest conveniences to come with Windows 10. Nevertheless, the tech is not perfect, and for those frustrated by their computers not recognizing them, veteran Microsoftie Raymond Chen is here to help. Long-time writer of his Old New Things blog, Chen recently picked it up again, and his latest post provides a Windows Hello tip that, true to the geekiness expected of a Microsoft employee, involves Star Wars.
But anyway, the point is: Jedi mind trick. It works in real life.
– Raymond Chen, Microsoftie, July 2016
Specifically, the tip involves invoking the ole Jedi mind trick, which is a fancy word for the hand wave to us Forceless Earthlings. Usually, when Windows Hello fails to recognize your face, it refuses to try the recognition again automatically, forcing you to use other authentication methods. The way to turn that frown upside down, usually, is to move your face away from the camera’s field-of-view to break the connection and force the camera to register a “new face”.
Ok, may be you’ll have to put your hands a bit higher than Qui-Gon, but you get the idea.
Chen discovers that waving your hand, Jedi-style (or at least so that it covers the camera for a second), will also reset the facial recognition, solving the problem in an easier, and arguably cooler, way. He also suggests going to Windows Settings, Sign-in Options, and improve the computer’s recognition of your face.
Overall, Chen’s tip is a fun trick for owners of the Surface Book, Pro 4, or other supported devices, to either fix Windows Hello in a pinch, or just to impress friends with their arcane abilities. After all, everybody wants to be a Jedi (ok, may be Sith for some), and it’s good to know that you can mind-control something, even if it’s your own computer.
Further reading: Microsoft, Windows 10, Windows Hello
