what to know
- First: Apple Icon > System Settings > Users & Groups > Set Auto-Login Off.
- Next step: Control+Command+Q shortcut key.
- Other options: Apple menu > Lock screen or use hot corners, inactivity timer, and auto-lock settings.
Security is a vital concern if you store any sensitive data on your Mac or iCloud storage. This article explains six ways to lock down your Mac and protect your privacy. Instructions apply to macOS Sonoma (14), macOS Ventura (13), and macOS Monterey (12).
These methods work on all Macs, but there are other ways to lock a MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.
Before you lock your Mac, you need to make sure you can actually lock it.
If your Mac is set up to log in automatically, or your account doesn't have a password set, you won't be able to lock your Mac until these issues are resolved.
There are many in-depth Mac security measures you can take, but the first and most important is to set an account password and lock your Mac when you're not using it. This simple measure ensures that no one can access your local or iCloud data just by using your Mac when you're not looking.
First, verify your password, then follow these steps to check if automatic login is turned off:
Click the Apple icon in the upper left corner and select System Settings .
If you're running macOS Monterey, this sequence will appear as System Preferences > Users & Groups > Lock Icon > Enter Password > Login Options > Auto-Login > Off.
Click Users and Groups .
Make sure Autologin is set to Off .
If you have FileVault turned on, this area is dimmed because automatic login is disabled.
If your user account has a password associated with it, and your Mac doesn't have auto-login turned on, you can always lock your Mac instantly with a simple key combination.
When you press these keys at the same time, a lock screen will appear and no one will be able to access your Mac without entering the correct password.
To immediately lock your Mac, hold down Control+Command+Q and release the keys once the lock screen appears. As long as you can remember your password, this is the fastest and easiest way to lock your Mac.
Note that you should not press Command+Q without first holding down Control , as using Command+Q alone will immediately close the currently active program.
If you have trouble remembering shortcut combinations, you can also easily lock your Mac from the Apple menu.
Click the Apple menu icon in the upper left corner of the screen.
Click Lock Screen .
Your Mac will immediately switch to the lock screen.
Another way to easily lock down any Mac is to set up hot corners. This feature allows you to set an action to occur whenever you move the mouse cursor to one of the four corners of the screen. There are many options, one of which is to lock the screen instantly.
Go to Apple Menu > System Settings .
Select Desktop and Dock .
Scroll down and select "Hot Corners" in the lower right corner.
Click the drop-down menu corresponding to the corner you want.
Select Lock screen > Done .
Now, as soon as you move your mouse to the corner of your choice, your Mac will lock.
If you're running macOS Monterey, go to Apple Menu > System Preferences > Desktop & Screensavers > Screensavers > Hot Corners > Lock Screen > OK .
A useful way to ensure your Mac is protected when idle is to set a screensaver after a period of time and require a password to unlock the device. Here's how to edit your Mac's inactivity lock settings.
Open system settings .
Click Lock Screen .
Use the "Start screen saver on inactivity" drop-down menu to set the screen saver to turn on after a certain period of inactivity.
You can also set the display to turn off when your Mac is plugged in or powered by battery with "Turn off display on battery during inactivity" and " Turn off display on battery during inactivity."
Next to Require password after screensaver starts or display turns off , select your preferred time range. If this update is required, please enter your password.
If your Mac is running macOS Monterey, navigate to these controls from System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General > Require Password... after sleep or the screensaver has started.
Your Mac will now require a password based on the time selections you make for the screen saver or monitor power settings.
One of the easiest ways to lock your Mac is to close the lid. Make sure you enable a setting from your lock screen preferences to enable this behavior.
Click System Settings in the Apple menu.
Select lock screen .
From Require password after screen saver starts or display closes , select Immediately .
If your Mac is running macOS Monterey, use the following path: System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General > Require password after sleep or screensaver starts ….
Close the lid of your Mac and double-check that the lock screen appears.
There are many ways to lock your Mac, but they all require you to first set user passwords for all accounts on your Mac. Once completed, you have the following options:
- Automatic inactivity timer : This is an important method because it kicks in if you accidentally step away from your Mac or simply forget to lock it. Whenever your Mac enters sleep mode or activates the screensaver, the screen locks immediately or after a time of your choosing.
- Keyboard shortcuts : This method is essential because it is very fast and you can activate it at any time. The disadvantage is that you have to remember the key combination.
- Close the lid : Shutting down your Mac will automatically trigger the lock screen if you have the correct settings turned on from Lock Screen preferences.
- Apple Menu : This is a good fallback method because you don't need to remember key combinations. The option to lock the screen is always conveniently located in the Apple menu.
- Hot Corners : This method allows you to set it up so that the screen locks when you move the mouse cursor to one of the four corners of the screen. If you already use all four hotspots for other purposes, you won't be able to use this method.
