How to Clear Automatic Lock Screen Settings in Windows 11

How to Stop 🪟 Windows 11 from Locking Automatically

The first change is the sign-in requirement, which decides whether Windows asks for your password after you have been away. It applies to waking from sleep. It is a good first step because many “random” lock-outs are really a sleep-and-wake password prompt.

1. Press the Win+I to open Settings. You should see the Settings ⚙️ window with a list of categories on the left.
2. Select Accounts from the left-hand menu.
3. Click Sign-in options. The page lists your sign-in methods (PIN, password, and so on) and a section of additional settings.
4. Find the setting labeled If you’ve been away, when should Windows require you to sign in again?
5. Click the drop-down menu and change the selection to Never. The change applies immediately, and there is no Save button.

Some devices, such as those managed by an organization, hide or lock the option. To undo the change, return to the same drop-down and pick one of the other options, such as When PC wakes up from sleep.

Adjust Sign-In Requirements

This section covers a second sign-in setting, which controls how Windows treats Windows Hello on your account. Be clear about what it does. It affects which sign-in methods are offered, and it does not by itself set an idle timeout. The idle lock is controlled by the screen saver and power settings later in this guide.

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Accounts and select Sign-in options.
3. Scroll down to the Additional settings section.
4. Find the option For improved security, only allow Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts on this device.
5. Switch the toggle to Off if you want to be able to sign in with a regular password as well as Windows Hello (a PIN, fingerprint, or face) on routine wake-ups. Alternatively, leave it on and make sure the idle timeout is disabled, as described in the following sections.

The toggle changes immediately, and you can switch it back On at any time. If the option is not on your page, it generally does not apply to your device or account type, so skip this section.

Disable Dynamic Lock

Dynamic Lock locks your PC when your paired phone moves out of Bluetooth range. If your PC locks whenever you walk off with your phone, this is the likely cause. It only works when a phone is paired over Bluetooth, so check that first.

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Bluetooth & devices from the left sidebar.
3. Confirm your phone is paired and listed under your devices, then return to the main Settings menu. If no phone is paired, Dynamic Lock cannot trigger, and the option may be unavailable in the next steps.
4. Click Accounts and select Sign-in options.
5. Scroll down to the Dynamic lock section and expand it if it is collapsed.
6. Clear the checkbox next to Allow Windows to automatically lock your device when you're away.

To undo this, tick the same checkbox again. Unpairing the phone in Bluetooth & devices also stops Dynamic Lock, but it removes the phone for every other purpose too.

Disable Screen Saver

The screen saver is the oldest of the automatic lock triggers, and it is easy to miss because it is no longer in the main Settings app. If a screen saver is set and its resume option is ticked, Windows shows the sign-in screen when you wake the display. Switch it off in the classic Screen Saver Settings window, which you can open from the Run dialog.

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type control desk.cpl,,@screensaver and press Enter to open the Screen Saver Settings window.
3. Click the drop-down menu under Screen saver and change it to None.
4. Uncheck the box next to On resume, display logon screen. If you pick None first, this box may be greyed out, because it only applies to an active screen saver. In that case you can leave it as it is.
5. Click Apply, then click OK.

No restart is needed. To undo this, open the window again, choose a screen saver, and set the wait time.

Change Power Settings

Power settings decide how long the display stays on and when the PC goes to sleep. When the PC sleeps, the sign-in requirement from the first section decides whether you must sign in again. Lengthening these timeouts keeps the PC awake longer while you are away or watching a video.

1. Open Settings.
2. Select System, then click Power & battery.
3. Expand the Screen and sleep section. On some builds it is named slightly differently, for example Screen, sleep, & hibernate timeouts.
4. Adjust the time intervals for battery and plugged-in states to the duration you want, or select Never to stop the display and the PC from sleeping automatically. Desktop PCs show only the plugged-in options because they have no battery.

Changes apply at once and need no restart. Keep in mind that on a laptop, choosing Never on battery power drains the battery faster. To undo it, set the timeouts back to a time value.

Change Presence Sense Settings

Some newer laptops and monitors have a sensor that detects whether you are sitting in front of the screen. When it is on, the PC can lock when you leave and wake when you return. This section only matters on supported hardware. If you do not see the page, your device does not have the sensor, so you can skip it.

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Privacy & security from the left menu.
3. Click Human presence sensing if your device supports this hardware feature. The name may differ slightly on some builds, for example Presence sensing.
4. Toggle off the options for Lock on leave and Wake on approach. The exact wording of the toggles can vary by device and build.

You can switch the toggles back on at any time.

Using Registry Editor to Completely Remove the Lock Screen

This section and the next one go beyond stopping the inactivity lock. They remove the lock screen itself, which is the picture-and-clock screen you dismiss before you reach the sign-in box. You will still have to sign in unless automatic sign-in is configured elsewhere. This method works on Windows 11 Home as well, because it edits the registry directly. It does so by adding a specific registry key, and you open Registry Editor from the Run dialog with administrator permission.

Back up your registry before making changes. In Registry Editor, you can do this by choosing File, then Export, and saving a copy of the registry to a safe location.

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type regedit and press Enter to open Registry Editor.
3. Click Yes to grant administrator permission when the User Account Control prompt appears.
4. Navigate to the following location using the left sidebar: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Personalization. If the Personalization key does not exist, right-click the Windows key, select New, click Key, and name it Personalization.
5. Right-click an empty space in the right pane, select New, and click DWORD (32-bit) Value. A new value appears in the right pane with its name ready to edit.
6. Name the new value NoLockScreen.
7. Double-click NoLockScreen and change its value data from 0 to 1.
8. Click OK and restart your computer to apply the change.

To undo it, return to the same value and set it back to 0, or delete the value, then restart.

Using Group Policy Editor for Pro and Enterprise Editions

If you run Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education, the Local Group Policy Editor gives you the same result as the registry change without editing the registry yourself. Windows 11 Home does not include this editor, so Home users should use the registry method above. As with the registry method, this removes the lock screen display, not the sign-in step.

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor. If Windows reports that it cannot find the file, you are on Home edition.
3. Navigate to Computer Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, expand Control Panel, and click Personalization.
4. Double-click the policy named Do not display the lock screen in the right-hand pane. Its settings window opens.
5. Select the Enabled option in the policy window.
6. Click Apply, then click OK.
7. Restart your PC to enforce the policy.

To undo it, open the same policy, choose Not Configured, click Apply and OK, and restart.

What to do next

With your automatic lock screen settings cleared, your computer will remain accessible during your work sessions without unwanted interruptions. If it still locks, check each trigger again: the sign-in requirement, Dynamic Lock, the screen saver, the power timeouts, and presence sensing. Any one of them can lock the PC on its own. You can now proceed to customize your power and sleep profiles or configure advanced display arrangements to match your exact workflow needs.