[UPDATE]
There is a keyboard shortcut to lock the screen in macOS, and it’s Control + Command + Q.
[ORIGINAL POST]
One of my all-time favorite things with Windows is how easy it is to lock the screen. You simply press the Windows key and L. With that, your screen is instantly locked, keeping your secrets and browsing history safe from unwanted prying eyes when you are away. The key combo makes such perfect sense too – Windows Lock, lock Windows. However, what if you are on a Mac? How do you lock screen in macOS?
In macOS, even though you don’t have a handy keyboard shortcut, it’s rather easy all the same. You might even find it easier once you know how to do it.
How to set up Hot Corners to lock screen in macOS
Locking your screen in macOS is done by moving your cursor to a “Hot Corner” to activate the “Lock Screen” command assigned to it. Before you ask, a hot corner is just one of the four corners you have on the screen.
Here’s how to set up a hot corner to lock your screen when you move the cursor there.
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- First, go to System Preferences, Desktop & Screen Saver
Alternatively, you can type “hot corner” into Spotlight and hit Enter. That’ll get you to the “Desktop & Screen Saver” system preferences too
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- Then, click on the Screen Saver tab and click on Hot Corners in the bottom right corner
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- Finally, choose one of the four corners, select Lock Screen from the dropdown and click OK
A word of advice, you’ll want to select the corner that you interacted with the least. For me, I have the bottom left corner assigned to locking my screen
Now trying moving your cursor to the hot corner, your screen will be locked instantly. Easy, right?
What is your favorite macOS or Windows feature? Do you find today’s post helpful? Let us know in the comments!
