Advertisement

Windows 10 won't let you share WiFi passwords any more

Not enough people were using WiFi Sense's contact-based sharing to justify keeping it around.

Remember Microsoft's WiFi Sense? One of its cornerstones is the ability to share password-protected WiFi networks with contacts, saving them the hassle of logging in when they visit. Unfortunately, though, there weren't many people enamored with the idea. Microsoft has pulled WiFi Sense's contact sharing in its latest Windows 10 Insider preview build after noting that it wasn't worth the effort given "low usage and low demand." It'll remain intact on slower Insider builds and regular Windows 10 releases for now, but it should disappear for everyone when the Anniversary Update hits in the summer.

This doesn't mean that all of WiFi Sense is going away. It'll still automatically connect you to public hotspots based on crowdsourced data, so you're safe if you primarily use the feature to get online at airports and coffee shops. Even so, it's hard to avoid that bittersweet feeling: while it's good to see Microsoft pruning features people don't use, the decision makes Windows 10 a little more inconvenient.