How to Enable Automatic Device Locking Feature in Windows 11

Pairing Your Smartphone via Bluetooth

Both devices need Bluetooth 🔷 turned on. Your phone must also be visible to other devices, which on most phones means keeping its Bluetooth 🔷 settings screen open while you pair. Do this before you touch any lock settings.

1. Open Settings. You can press Win+I to get there quickly.

   

2. Select Bluetooth 🔷 & devices in the left-hand list.

   

3. Turn on the Bluetooth 🔷 toggle switch if it is currently off. It should now read On.
4. Click Add device.

   

   The Add a device window opens.
5. Choose Bluetooth 🔷 in the Add a device window. Windows starts scanning for nearby devices.
6. Select your smartphone from the list of discovered devices. If it does not appear, check that Bluetooth 🔷 is on and the phone is visible, then wait a few seconds for the scan to refresh.
7. Compare the PIN shown on your PC with the one on your phone. If they match, confirm on both screens. When pairing finishes, your phone shows as Connected or Paired under your devices.

Enabling Dynamic Lock in Settings

The option stays unavailable until a phone is paired, so finish the pairing steps above first. No restart is needed. The setting takes effect as soon as you tick the box.

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Accounts.
3. Select Sign-in options.

   

4. Scroll down to the Dynamic lock section and expand it if it is collapsed.

   

5. Tick the box labeled Allow Windows to automatically lock your device when you’re away. If the box is greyed out or a message says no device is paired, go back and check that your phone is paired and connected.

To test it, leave your phone on your desk, walk out of Bluetooth 🔷 range with it in your pocket, and wait a short while. The PC should lock on its own. To undo the change, return to the same place and clear the box.

Troubleshooting Bluetooth Proximity Issues

If your PC does not lock when you walk away, or locks while you are still sitting there, the cause is almost always the Bluetooth signal. Thick walls, nearby routers and other wireless devices can interfere with it. Outdated Bluetooth drivers can cause the same problem.

Work through these checks in order:

1. Open Settings › Bluetooth & devices and confirm your phone shows as connected. If it does not, reconnect it or remove it and pair it again.
2. Check that Bluetooth is still on at the phone. Some phones switch it off with battery saver or airplane mode.
3. If the PC locks while you are sitting at your desk, the signal is probably weak or unstable. Move the PC or the phone closer together, and remove obstructions between them.
4. If the PC does not lock when you leave, the signal may be reaching further than you expect. Range depends heavily on the Bluetooth adapter and the room. Try again from a greater distance, or with the phone in a different pocket.
5. Update your Bluetooth adapter driver through Device Manager. Expand the Bluetooth category, right-click your adapter, and choose Update driver.

Configuring Alternative Sign-In Protections

Dynamic Lock only protects the PC when you leave. When you come back, you need a quick way to sign in again. A PIN, fingerprint or facial recognition is much faster than typing a full account password every time.

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Accounts.
3. Select Sign-in options.
4. Choose Facial recognition (Windows Hello), Fingerprint recognition (Windows Hello) or PIN (Windows Hello), then follow the on-screen setup steps. Face and fingerprint options only appear if your PC has a compatible camera or fingerprint reader. A PIN works on any PC.

If an option is missing, your hardware probably does not support it. The PIN is the fallback that is always available.

What to do next

Your computer will now lock itself whenever you walk away with your paired phone. If you want more protection, look through the other settings under Accounts. You can also set screen and sleep timeouts to cover times when your phone stays near the PC but you are away from it.