How to Lock Screen on Windows 11

If you work in a shared environment or you find yourself usually working on your laptop computer in a public setting, it is always a good habit to lock your PC when leaving it unattended to ensure no unauthorized person has access to your sensitive files.

Thankfully, there are multiple ways you can lock your Windows 11 PC. You can either use a shortcut to quickly lock away your computer, or you can define an inactivity period after which you would need to enter your password in order to reach the desktop.

One other option is to use a dynamic lock on your Windows 11 PC to automatically lock your PC when it detects you are no longer nearby the device. Though the Dynamic lock has its limitations and loopholes, that being said it is a pretty nifty little feature that can come really handy at the time of need.

So, let’s get started and explore all the ways you can lock your PC in Windows 11.

Lock your Windows 11 Computer With a Keyboard Shortcut

As mentioned above Windows allows you to quickly lock your computer using a shortcut. No hopping through menus, no clicking around the screen, just press two buttons are you’re good to go.

To lock your PC this way, you can be on any screen, browsing files using the file explorer, watching a movie, editing a picture, or doing anything and everything else on your computer. Whenever you wish to leave your computer just press Windows key+L on your keyboard and your computer will be locked immediately.

Lock your PC after a Predefined Inactivity Period

This method can come in real handy when you need to tend to some other business immediately or a short trip to get water or coffee is extended due to some reason. The best part is you can set the time duration after which your PC would need a password to be unlocked.

To do so, head to the ‘Settings’ app either from the pinned apps or by searching for it from the Start Menu.

Then, click on the ‘Personalization’ tab from the left sidebar.

Alternatively, you can also right-click on the Desktop and select the ‘Personalize’ option from the context menu to jump straight to the ‘Personalize’ page of the Settings app.

After that, from the right side of the Settings window, click on the ‘Lockscreen’ tile to proceed.

Next, scroll down to locate the ‘Related settings’ section and then click on the ‘Screen saver’ tile. This will open a separate ‘Screen saver’ window on your screen.

From the Screen saver window, click on the drop-down menu and select an option of your choice, you can also select the ‘Blank’ option if you do not wish to set a screen saver.

Next, enter the number of minutes after which you wish to lock your screen right beside the ‘Wait:’ label. Then, click to tick the checkbox preceding the ‘On resume, display logon screen’ option. Finally, click on the ‘Apply’ button to save the changes and click on the ‘OK’ button to close the window.

That’s it after your predefined minutes, your screen will automatically lock itself.

Lock your PC when you move away by using Dynamic Lock

You can also lock your PC automatically when you go away by pairing your computer with your mobile phone via Bluetooth. Moreover, it is a one-time, simple, and straightforward process.

Pair your Phone via Bluetooth with your PC

Before you can use the Dynamic Lock feature, you will have to pair your phone with your Windows 11 computer via Bluetooth. In case your phone is already paired, you can skip this section and jump to the next one.

To pair your phone, head to the ‘Settings’ either from the pinned apps or by searching for it from the Start Menu.

Then, click on the ‘Bluetooth & devices’ tab from the left sidebar.

After that, from the right section of the Settings window, click on the ‘Add device’ tile to continue. This will open a separate window on your screen.

Next, from the ‘Add a device’ screen, click on the ‘Bluetooth’ tile to proceed further.

Note: Make sure your mobile phone is on ‘Bluetooth Discovery’ mode before you continue further.

Then, Windows will search for your phone for pairing. Once you can see the device name on the window, click on it to initiate the pairing process.

Once paired, you will be notified of the same on the window. Now you are ready to set up Dynamic Lock on your computer.

Set Up & Use Dynamic Lock from the Settings

Once your mobile phone is paired with your Windows 11 computer, you are all set to set up and use Dynamic lock on your machine.

Head to the ‘Settings’ app on your Windows 11 PC, then, click on the ‘Accounts’ tab from the left sidebar.

After that, click on the ‘Sign in options’ tile from the right section of the window.

Now, scroll down and click on the ‘Dynamic lock’ option under the ‘Additional settings’ section on the ‘Sign-in options’ window.

Then, click to check the checkbox preceding the ‘Allow Windows to automatically lock your device when you’re away’ option to enable the Dynamic Lock feature.

Next, Windows will automatically scan your currently connected Bluetooth device and select a compatible one. It will also display the connected device name on the screen.

And that’s it Dynamic Lock is now enabled on your computer.

Some More Ways to Lock your Windows 11 PC

If you prefer variety in life, there are a couple of more routes you can take to lock your Windows 11 PC and make sure it never gets boring.

To lock your PC from the Start Menu, click on the Windows icon on the taskbar and then click on your account picture icon button present at the bottom left corner of the flyout. Next, click to choose the ‘Lock’ option to lock your PC immediately.

You can also lock your computer from the Windows security screen, to do so, press the Ctrl+Alt+Del shortcut on your keyboard. Then, click on the ‘Lock screen’ option to immediately lock your screen.