How to Turn Off Auto Lock on Macbook
5 Answers 5
The option is found in the System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General > Advanced dialog.
The first option is a check box with text Log out after [NN - spin button] minutes of inactivity
The spin button enables one to set the number of minutes of inactivity.
Kudos to the user Alistair McMillan who posted the answer over in the AskDifferent stack exchange.
Read the full thread here.
answered Jan 21 '15 at 0:00
qxotkqxotk
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You can prevent your Mac to automatically log out the current user after a set period of inactivity by this way -
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences
- Click Security & Privacy
- Click General
- Click the lock icon 🔒to unlock it
- Enter an administrator name and password
- Click Advanced
- Uncheck "Log out after... minutes of inactivity"
- Click Ok
You can also check OS X Yosemite: Set your Mac to log out when not in use
answered Sep 22 '15 at 9:54
monsur.hoqmonsur.hoq
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Nice use of step-by-step written instructions, may I suggest you add step 9 to click the <unlock-icon> to lock the user preferences?
Aug 11 '17 at 14:53
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Excellent reference to the apple support documentation also, well done.
Aug 11 '17 at 14:55
Go into System Preferences> Users & Groups> Then click on the button that says Automatic Logout.
answered Jan 21 '15 at 0:00
bret7600bret7600
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There is no "Users", only "Users & Groups". No "Other Options"!
Feb 17 '15 at 12:06
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A button "Automatic Logout" does not exist there.
Jul 18 '19 at 17:06
If what you want is for your mac screen to stay on. The great answers above will only get you part of the way there. Under the security and privacy general tab de-select the require password. This will stop the request for a password and allow the computer to screen to stay on if all other "screen saving" is turned off.
Caution - This will forcibly remove apple pay.
answered Nov 16 '19 at 21:19
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I think the answer could be more useful if you also state in your "Caution" that the computer will not be locked at all during the time the display remains on.
Nov 18 '19 at 18:35
i had mistaken require password for log out after X minutes of inactivity
that setting is also under the General tab of Security & Privacy near the top, first checkmark
(macOS catalina)
answered Aug 31 '20 at 15:23
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I see you are a new user. You can improve your answer and possibly earn up-votes by changing from your answer from describing your experience to a "how-to" achieve the goal described in the question when using macOS Catalina. For example:. "In macOS Catalina, Follow these steps: ..." I think that would be useful information to those who read this post going forward.
Sep 1 '20 at 21:15
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How to Turn Off Auto Lock on Macbook
Source: https://superuser.com/questions/867370/mac-os-x-yosemite-how-to-disable-automatic-logout-when-idle
You can not imagine how long I have tried to find this!! Thanks a lot!! (Each time I woke up in the morning, I got the 'could not logout' message, due to iTerm etc. still being open. Very annoying hehe)
Dec 2 '15 at 1:27
This was a lifesaver! The logout was driving me craaaaa-zzzaayyy.
May 14 '20 at 17:49