Locked out of Windows 11 because your password button vanished? Don’t panic—it’s still there, you just can’t see it. Here is how to find the invisible button and fix the glitch.
For thousands of Windows 11 users, the latest update KB5070311 has turned a simple morning login into a moment of sheer panic. You wake up your PC, see your lock screen, but when you go to switch sign-in options, the key icon (for password) or keypad icon (for PIN) is completely missing.
This is a known bug in the December 2025 preview update, which also had other bugs including issues with Dark Mode. The good news? You aren’t actually locked out. The button hasn’t been removed—it has just been rendered invisible.
Here is the step-by-step guide to bypassing the “Phantom Button” bug and restoring your login screen to normal.
Method 1: The “Magic Hover” Trick (Fastest Fix)
If you are currently staring at your lock screen unable to log in, do not restart your computer yet. You can still click the button even if you can’t see it.
- Locate the Gap: Look at the bottom of the screen where “Sign-in options” usually appears.
- Move Your Mouse: Slowly move your cursor over the empty space to the right or left of the PIN option (depending on your layout).
- Watch the Cursor: Keep an eye on your mouse pointer. When it hovers over the invisible button, the cursor will change from a standard arrow to a hand icon (pointer).
- Click: Once you see the hand icon, click the empty space. Your password field should appear immediately.
Why this works: The update corrupted the visual asset (the icon graphic) but left the UI element(the button code) intact. You are essentially clicking a ghost.
Method 2: The “Blind” Keyboard Navigation
If you can’t find the invisible spot with your mouse, you can use your keyboard to force the selection.
- Press any key to clear the lock screen wallpaper and reveal the login prompt.
- Press the Tab key repeatedly. Watch the focus ring (a faint white or dotted border) move across the screen items.
- When the focus disappears into the “empty” area where the Sign-in Options should be, hit Enter.
- If that doesn’t work, press Tab again to cycle to the next invisible option and hit Enter.
- One of these invisible slots is the Password/PIN switch. Once selected, your input field will change.
Method 3: The Permanent Fix (Uninstall KB5070311)
Once you are back inside Windows, you likely don’t want to deal with invisible buttons every day. Since KB5070311 is an “Optional Preview” update, it is safe to remove it until Microsoft patches the bug (likely in the upcoming December 9th Patch Tuesday release).
How to uninstall the buggy update:
- Open Settings (Win + I).
- Go to Windows Update > Update History.
- Scroll down to the Related settings section and click Uninstall updates.
- Locate “Update for Microsoft Windows (KB5070311)” in the list.
- Click Uninstall and confirm.
- Restart your PC.
After the reboot, your login screen will return to normal with all icons visible.
Summary: Why is this happening?
This “Phantom Button” glitch affects Windows 11 builds 26200.7309 and 26100.7309. It is caused by a failure in the authui.dll file to properly render legacy assets in the new Lock Screen environment.
Microsoft has acknowledged similar behavior in the Feedback Hub, noting that it primarily affects users who have both a PIN and a Password enabled for sign-in.
Recommendation: If you rely on switching between PIN and Password frequently, we recommend uninstalling KB5070311 immediately. If you always use the same method (e.g., just PIN or Hello Face), you can safely ignore this bug.