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Lock Your Mac Desktop

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There are times when we want to walk out of our Mac yet still have many running tasks to stop us from logging out. Surely, these can become an itch-scratching issue if we have no knowledge on locking our Mac.

In this article, we will share you two ways of locking your Mac desktop.

Enable Security Password Upon Waking Up

Inside our System Preferences, there is an option for us to enable this security password upon waking up, from either sleep mode or screen saver mode. This option, with the waking up password the same as our account password, can be enabled under System Preferences → Security → General.

Above. Enabling Password to Wake Up Computer

After you have enabled this option, having your Mac into either sleep mode or screen saver mode will lock your Mac desktop.

Go to Login Window with Fast User Switching

Besides being used for quickly switching to other account, we can use this feature to lock our Mac desktop. This can be done by clicking on the icon sat on our menu bar and choosing Login Window….

Above. Selection to go to Login Window

This feature, fast user switching, can be enabled inside System Preferences → Accounts → Login Options.

Above. Enabling Fast User Switching

If there is any other ways to lock our Mac desktop, I will be more than happy to hear about those.

Categories: Tips and Tricks
Tags: Desktop, Lock

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30 Comments

Jacco 

I use "active screen corners" and set my mouse in the bottom left corner when I walk away, that kicks in my screen saver.  With the same security settings as this article it will ask you for your password when you return. On my linux box I have a tool that locks the screen when my bluetooth phone is out of range....

Chris Wanja 

Like the above person, hot corners works great and make sure in the security part of System Prefs, you have "require password to wake from screensaver". Works like a charm, used it many times.

Romain 

You can also use the Keychain state menubar item (small lock icon), which has a Lock Screen action.
To enable this menubar item, open Keychain Access, go to Prefernces, General tab, and check 'Show status in menu bar".
MacWorld as a good article on how to quickly lock your screen

Olav 

I too use active screencorners

hazardouspaste 

Still doesn't compare to Linux's Ctrl Alt F7.

Jamie 

I use MacLock. 
http://ourapples.com/downloads/macloc

Rhywun 

For years I've been looking for a way to require a password to wake up from sleep but NOT from the screensaver. I require the former, so as it is I don't use screen savers.

Russ 

I use "LockTight" http://www.freemacware.com/locktight.

really? 

run out of windows users to harass into using an operating system that is still not ready for everyday desktop use, so you come to the mac sites now?




if you wanna go this route, windows still has you beat.  Win+L is one less key.  better yet, go talk about linux on a linux site.

Tunaranch 

I used to have QuickSilver set to 'hold cmd-esc for 5 seconds' to activate screensaver. Frees up a hot corner for something used for frequently.

Titanick 

I still think Keychain is the fastest and the best.

Terry Wang 

I have written a post like this.
http://portalinsight.blogspot.com/2008/11/always-remember-to-lock-your-computer.html

I use a free widget http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/networking_security/locker.html

@hazardouspaste
What does Ctrl + Alt + F7 do? It only works if you switch to one of the pseudo consoles.

For GNOME and KDE, the hot key to lock is Ctrl + Alt + L.

Abhishek 

I use Keychain's "Lock Screen" menu option in the Apple menu bar.

MacPhobia 

Still doesn't compare to Weindows Alt+Ctrl+Del or WinKey+L

Bruno 

I use ScreenLock freeware (www.handymacapps.com ) which does exactly the same but without having to enable the "fast user switching" menu. I just call it through QuickSilver. Definitely the best way I've found so far :-)

Chris 

If you mean you capture Ctrl+Alt+F7 to start a screen saver sure, but switching tty's isn't really locking the screen :)

Geo 

Hi,
I use a program called Winswitch (fast user switching) - website: http://wincent.com/a/products/winswitch/ . I also have a "normal" P at work and I love the combination of windows-key + L. I have set up Winswitch to use Cmd+L... 
That works fine for me!

Chris 

Let us forget that bluetooth causes cancer ;)

Brody 

on the mac you can also open up front row by holding apple or command, and esc.

Reese 

Good job man =)

erugalatha 

The problem with all of these methods, while they get the job of locking you mac done, if you are on a 3G card it disconnects the mac from the Internet when the lock happens.

Is there anyway to keep it connect while locked when using 3g?

madafaka 

is there an app allowing me set password to be required on wakeup but NOT from screensaver ?

Guy 

I use Lockdown http://www.foozoodesign.com/lockdown.html , password protected, alarm sound, etc....

Charles Rich 

This question was asked several times above, but I don't see any answer:

Is there an app allowing me set password to be required on wakeup but NOT from screensaver ?

Did anyone find an answer?

Alexandra 

If anybody knows how I can block/stop my daughter from using internet  at night ?
I have mac 10.4.11. Can I set time so she can use only between 7 am to 11 pm? Thanks.

Tom 

yes, it is called parenting.

Sean C 

Check out the built in "Lock Screen" feature under the KeyChain manager...

In the KeyChain Access app, open Preferences, choose 'Show Status in Menu Bar', check out the new PadLock icon you have in your menu bar:

  Lock Screen

It uses built in controls, works on all versions of OSX, and is independent of any screen saver/fast-user switching configurations.

Cheers~
  Sean Constantine

Chris Brinker 

I find that the shortcut of: 

  Ctrl + Shift + Eject

  Locks things up just fine without too much trouble. The only downside is that it is a two handed key chord, it would be slightly better if it could be accomplished with a single hand.

Vinessen Andee 

i wanna lock my desktop icons so that my colleagues dont mess with the style i arrange my icons..
any way i can do it? thanks

aidan ortiz 

just use mac lock

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