The Fastest Way to Lock or Sleep Your Screen in macOS (Mac OS X)

Posted by Jim Tanous on July 10, 2019

Lock Screen Mac OS X
Locking your Mac�s display (or �sleeping� the display) can be a great security
measure when paired with a user account password. While it won�t prevent the
outright theft of your Mac, it can be a quick and easy way to prevent nosy family
members or coworkers from getting access to your data.

In order for a Mac lock screen command to be effective, you�ll first need to
configure System Preferences to require your user account password when unlocking
or waking up. To do this, follow these instructions:

Click on System Preferences

Next, click on Security & Privacy
Make sure you�re on the General tab
Check he checkbox next to Require Password
Then, select the time interval from the Require Password pull-down menu that you
want to use, choosing from these options: immediately, 5 seconds, 1 minute, 5
minutes, 15 minutes, 1 hour, 4 hours, or 8 hours.
If you want the highest level of security, set it to �immediately� all the way up
to the lowest level of security, which is 8 hours.

If you often find yourself accidentally locking your screen, set it to 5 seconds so
that you can quickly unlock the display without having to enter your password.
Lock Screen Shortcut Mac
Next, you�ll need to decide on the exact functionality you want: lock (sleep) the
display only, or sleep the entire system.

Locking or sleeping the display will shut the display off but keep the Mac running
in the background.

If you performed the steps above to require a password, users will need to enter
the correct account password in order to unlock the display.

LOCKING YOUR MAC�S SCREEN WITH SHORTCUTS

If you have a Mac running macOS Mojave, press these three keys simultaneously to
lock your screen: Command+Control+Q keys.

To lock your Mac�s screen on an older Mac, press these keys simultaneously to lock
your screen: Control+Shift+Power

For older Macs with that has a built-in drive, simultaneously press the following
keys to lock your screen: Control + Shift + Eject.

In both cases, you�ll see your Mac�s display shut off immediately, while the system
continues to run in the background. You�ll have to login again to resume using your
Mac.

Performing a lock or display sleep command is useful for situations in which you�ll
only be gone for a few minutes, as it allows you to jump immediately back to work.
It�s also a good idea to use if you want to lock your Mac but have applications
running in the background, such as a rendering operation or an encryption sequence.

Your Mac will still chug away at its task; the only difference is that anyone
without the password won�t be able to access it, interrupting the process or
otherwise messing around with your Mac.

PUTTING YOUR YOUR MAC TO SLEEP WITH SHORTCUTS

This option will put your Mac�s CPU to sleep rather than just locking the screen.
MacBook owners are familiar with sleep; it occurs every time they shut their
computer�s lid, or automatically after a user-defined period of time.

On macOS Mojave and other newer versions of macOS, press these three keys
simultaneously to put your Mac to sleep: Command + Option + Power.

If you have an older Mac with an optical drive, can put it to sleep by pressing
these three keys simultaneously: Command + Option + Eject.

These commands will cause your Mac�s CPU to sleep to immediately, shutting down all
functions and requiring a password to resume.

LOCKING OR PUTTING YOUR MAC TO SLEEP FROM THE APPLE MENU

If you prefer to use the Apple Menu to keyboard combinations, you can choose either
the sleep or the lock option from the Apple Menu. You can always find the Apple
menu in the upper left of your Mac screen, scrolling down to select either Sleep or
Lock Screen.

The Apple Menu

WHEN TO PUT YOUR MAC TO SLEEP

Users running on battery power may prefer to put their Mac to sleep to save power.
The practical effect is the same (preventing others from accessing your Mac), but
this latter option saves battery power while the user is away.

On the other hand, putting your Mac to sleep will stop all background tasks as it
puts the CPU to sleep, so it may not be the ideal option for users who want their
Macs to keep working while they grab a coffee or stop for a bathroom break.

Also, it takes longer to wake up from a sleep state than from a display lock state,
although on modern Macs with fast SSD storage the time difference between the two
sleep options has shrunk considerably.

It�s recommended that users experiment with both options to find the one that suits
them best for different situations. It�s also likely that users, especially those
�on the go� with MacBooks, will find occasion to use both options more frequently
than those who mostly use their Macs at home.

Regardless, having a strong user account password and taking a moment to ensure
that your Mac is locked even if you only step away for a few seconds are both
crucial steps to protecting your data.

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