How to Quickly Lock Your Mac

This practical guide walks through how to quickly lock your Mac, explains the main requirements, and highlights common issues that may appear along the way.

Unlocking your Mac will require a password

There are many ways you can lock your Mac. Some of these involve putting the device into sleep mode. However, this basically does not help protect the device thoroughly if you do not set a password to access again.

For maximum security, we recommend that you set up password requests after you put your Mac in sleep mode.

To set up password protection when your Mac is put to sleep, click the Apple icon in the top left of the screen, then click 'System Preferences'.

Next, click on 'Security & Privacy'.

Under the 'General' tab, click the checkbox next to the 'Require Password' option.

Enter your password, then click the arrow next to 'Require Password' to open the drop-down menu. Next, you can choose a length of time before asking for your password again. Click on 'Immediately' to lock your Mac whenever you put it to sleep.

How to lock a Mac

Here are a few ways you can use to lock your Mac.

Fold the MacBook screen

The easiest way for you to lock your Mac is to simply fold the screen of the device. Of course this only works with MacBooks. Upon reopening, you will have to enter your password to get past the lock screen and re-access the system.

Use keyboard shortcuts

The next simple method for you to put your Mac in lock state is to press the keyboard shortcut Command + Control + Q.

Alternatively, you can also press Command + Shift + Q. But this will cause you to sign out of the device completely, meaning any application running on the system will be forced to close. again.

Lock your Mac from the Apple Menu

You can also easily lock your Mac from the Apple menu. Just click on the Apple logo in the top left of the screen, then tap on the 'Lock Screen' option.

If you've set up asking for a password to unlock your Mac after it's put to sleep, simply click the 'Sleep' option in the same menu.

Lock your Mac with Hot Corners

Hot Corners is a feature that allows you to touch any corner of the computer screen with the mouse pointer to activate commands. You can also use this feature to lock your Mac.

First, click on the Apple logo in the top left of the screen, then click on 'System Preferences'.

Click 'Mission Control'.

At the bottom left of the screen, click 'Hot Corners'.

Now select the angle you want to use to activate the lock screen.

Click on the corner you want to set as Hot Corner, then choose 'Lock Screen'.

Again, if you've set up the password request feature to unlock your Mac in sleep mode, just click 'Put Display to Sleep' in the same menu.

Click 'OK' to place a new Hot Corner order. To execute the command, simply place your mouse on the corner of the screen you have selected.

Lock your Mac using Terminal

First, press Command + Space to open Spotlight Search, search for the keyword 'Terminal', then click on the corresponding search result.

In Terminal, type the following command, and then press Enter:

pmset displaysleepnow

Your Mac will now be put to sleep. When you log back in, you must enter the password.

Lock your Mac with the Touch Bar

You can also add a dedicated 'screen lock button' to your Mac's Touch bar.

First, click on the Apple logo in the top left of the screen, then select 'System Preferences'.

Click 'Keyboard'.

In the bottom right, click 'Customize Control Strip'.

A menu with several dedicated buttons will appear. Click and drag the 'Screen Lock' or 'Sleep' button down to the Touch bar.

Now, whenever you press this button in the Touch bar, your Mac is instantly locked.

How to set up your Mac to lock automatically

It's okay to have your mac automatically lock after being inactive for a certain amount of time.

First, click on the Apple logo in the top left of the screen, then select 'System Preferences'.

If you're running on macOS Big Sur or later, click 'Battery'.

If you're running macOS Catalina or lower, click 'Energy Saver'.

On the 'Battery' tab under 'Energy Saver', click and drag the slider beside the 'Turn Display Off After' option to the length of time you want. You can set '1 minute' or 'Never'.

Follow the same steps in the 'Power Adapter' tab.

Note that if you're running macOS Big Sur, the "Battery" and "Power Adapter" tabs will be located in the left pane.

Now, if you forget to lock your Mac before you leave, it will automatically lock after the length of time you chose, whether it's plugged in directly or powered on battery power.

Key Takeaways

Use the information above as a practical reference for how to quickly lock your Mac. Review each step carefully, confirm any requirements, and choose the option that best fits your situation.

FAQ

What does this guide explain about Quickly Lock Your Mac?

It explains the main concepts, practical considerations, and useful steps related to quickly lock your Mac without requiring advanced knowledge.

Who can benefit from learning about Quickly Lock Your Mac?

This information is useful for readers who want a clear overview, practical guidance, and reliable steps related to quickly lock your Mac.

What should I check before applying this information?

Review the requirements, confirm that your device, software, or situation matches the instructions, and back up important data before making major changes.