How to Automatically Turn Off Your Screen with Presence Sensing in Windows 11

Why Use Presence Sensing?

This feature helps save energy by turning off your screen when you’re not using your computer. It also adds a layer of security by making sure your screen isn’t showing sensitive data when you’re away. When you return, your computer can be ready to go quickly.

What Happens When You Turn It On?

Once enabled, your computer will use its presence sensor to detect your absence. When it senses you’ve stepped away, it will automatically turn off your display. When you return, depending on your settings, it might also wake up your computer.

Step 1Open Your PC’s Settings

To start automatically turning off your screen when you leave, you first need to open your PC’s main ⚙️ Settings app.

• Click the ⊞ Start button. This is the Windows logo usually found in the bottom-left corner.
• Type Settings in 🔍 the search bar.
• Click on Settings when it appears in 🔍 the search results.

This will open the main Settings window, where you can change how your computer works.

Step 2Go to Power and Battery Settings

Next, you’ll want to find the Power & battery settings, which is where you control how your computer uses energy and when it sleeps.

• In ⚙️ the Settings window, click on System in the list on the left side.
• On the right side, find and click on Power & battery.

This screen shows you how your computer uses power and lets you adjust settings for energy management, including your screen.

Step 3Find Screen and Sleep Options

Within the Power & battery menu, look for the Screen and sleep options to adjust when your display turns off.

• Within the “Power & battery” settings, click on Screen and sleep.

Here, you will find options for when your screen turns off, both when plugged in and when running on battery. You can also set when your computer goes to sleep.

Step 4Turn On Automatic Screen Off When You Leave

This is where you’ll turn on the automatic screen off feature using your PC’s presence sensor.

• Look for the option that says Automatically turn off my screen when I leave.
• If it’s not already on, click the switch next to it to turn it On.

Helpful Tip: You might also find an option to ‘Automatically wake up my device when I approach.’ If your computer has this feature and you want it to wake up when you get close, you can turn this on too! It makes things more convenient and secure.

Important Note: Not all Windows 11 computers have a presence sensor. If you do not see these options, your computer’s hardware might not support this feature. You can usually check your computer’s specifications or look for a small sensor near your webcam.

Reference:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/managing-presence-sensing-settings-in-windows-11-82285c93-440c-4e15-9081-c9e38c1290bb

Summary

You’ve learned how to set up Windows 11’s presence sensing to automatically turn off your screen when you leave, saving power and boosting security.