Is there a way to simply lock your screen?

[OrlandoTragic]

I have switched work computers and am now primarily using a Mac, which is great - but I am looking for a simple way to just lock my screen.

On Windows, when I hit Win+L, it locks my screen so I can leave my desk and not worry about someone accessing my machine.

On a Mac, I cannot find a similar method. The best thing I've read is to put the computer to sleep and force a password upon wake - but that quits me out of apps, etc. and is just a general pain.

Is there really not a way to just lock your screen? That seems so silly to me.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

In Finder go to the Utilities folder (CMD+SHIFT+U) and open Keychain Access.
Open the Preferences (CMD+,) and in the General tab you will see "Show keychain status in menu bar". Check that.
Once checked, there is a small lock icon in the Menu Bar, which allows you to lock the screen.

As alternative to this built in service, use the Mac App Store (MAS) to find dozens of Lock Screen apps.

More information about the steps I provided can be found in this article, found via a www search for "lock screen mac".

 

[fisherking]

this

old app, but works great here. i access it from launchpad. simple, elegant...
(but of course the keychain thing is simpler...)

 

[bbfc]

I have switched work computers and am now primarily using a Mac, which is great - but I am looking for a simple way to just lock my screen.

On Windows, when I hit Win+L, it locks my screen so I can leave my desk and not worry about someone accessing my machine.

On a Mac, I cannot find a similar method. The best thing I've read is to put the computer to sleep and force a password upon wake - but that quits me out of apps, etc. and is just a general pain.

Is there really not a way to just lock your screen? That seems so silly to me.

You can set up a Hot Corner to activate the screensaver, and then make sure you have password option set to immediately in users.

 

[OrlandoTragic]

Thank you all.

 

[Arran]

You can set up a Hot Corner to activate the screensaver, and then make sure you have password option set to immediately in users.

Yep, that's my preferred method. All it takes is a diagonal finger flick on the trackpad as I leave my desk.

 

[wrldwzrd89]

There's also an oddball keyboard shortcut that'll do the trick: Control + Shift + Eject (or Power if your keyboard lacks an Eject key).

 

[tron2]

There's also an oddball keyboard shortcut that'll do the trick: Control + Shift + Eject (or Power if your keyboard lacks an Eject key).

Thanks, I have been looking for this. Awesome

 

[fisherking]

There's also an oddball keyboard shortcut that'll do the trick: Control + Shift + Eject (or Power if your keyboard lacks an Eject key).

does that work? here, it just sleeps my mac...

 

[OrlandoTragic]

Control+Shift+Eject puts my Mac to sleep...

 

[zepman]

If you activate fast user switching under Users > Login Options. You can then press your name in the meny bar and select Login Window.

Control+Shift+Eject should just turn off your screen.
Option+Command+Eject will put your computer to sleep.