I'm not fully following you on this one as "scanning the QR code" should have been a one-time action required when you first setup the passkey.
So, a couple of things...
"when I go into Hotmail and it asks me to scan the QR code" - It should be asking for your passkey instead.
"cannot open the passkey in my Apple password app, as it’s locked." The Apple password app runs on both your Mac and iPhone. Every time you open them manually, on any Apple device, it MUST be unlocked first. This has nothing to do with Hotmail being accessed.
With that said, let's circle back around to the Hotmail problem. When all is properly setup, accessing Hotmail "on the Mac" should not require that you ever touch your phone. The Apple Password app running on your Mac should handle the passkey challenge.
For reasons you did not describe, it seems that every time you are trying to access Hotmail, it is failing to ask for your Passkey and is instead asking you to scan a QR code as if it is a first time setup. Without seeing you step through the process first hand, diagnosing the reason why is tough.
Here is what Grok had to say...
1. Verify Passkey Existence in Apple Passwords
- On the Mac, open the Passwords app (search for it in Spotlight).
- Switch to the Passkeys tab (if available; on macOS Sonoma or later).
- Search for "microsoft", "outlook", "hotmail", or "login.live.com".
- If nothing shows up, the passkey isn't saved locally—proceed to re-adding it.
- If it is there, try deleting it directly from this app (select and remove), then re-add as described below.
2. Check iCloud Keychain Sync
- Go to System Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Passwords & Keychain.
- Ensure Sync this Mac is toggled on.
- If it's already on, toggle it off, wait 30 seconds, then toggle back on. This can force a resync, but sign out of iCloud first if prompted to avoid data loss.
- Restart the Mac and test login again.
- Note: Passkeys require macOS Ventura (13) or later for full support. If on an older version, this could be the root cause—update if possible.
3. Use a Supported Browser and Test Login
- Passkeys work best in Safari on Mac. If the user is using Chrome, Edge, or Firefox, switch to Safari for testing.
- Clear browser cache/cookies for login.live.com or outlook.com (in Safari: Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data).
- Try signing in at outlook.com or account.microsoft.com. If the QR code still appears, select "Sign in another way" or "Use password instead" to bypass and get in temporarily.
4. Remove and Re-Add the Passkey from Microsoft Side
- First, sign into the Microsoft account using a password or recovery method (e.g., via phone/email verification) at account.microsoft.com.
- Go to Security > Advanced security options (or directly to https://account.live.com/proofs/manage).
- Under "Ways to prove who you are," look for any passkeys listed (they might show as "Apple iCloud Keychain" or similar).
- Select the passkey and choose Remove. This clears any orphaned or invalid entries.
- Then, add a new one:
- Click Add a new way to sign in or verify.
- Choose Face, fingerprint, PIN, or security key (this creates a passkey).
- Follow the prompts—it should integrate with Touch ID or your Mac's password for verification.
- Once added, test login again; it should now prompt for Touch ID/Mac password instead of QR.
