MrFixable
Buy
System & FinderLock, Sleep & Display Off Shortcuts

Mac lock screen shortcut

The Mac lock screen shortcut is ⌃⌘Q (Control-Command-Q), the same as choosing Apple menu › Lock Screen. On keyboards with Touch ID, pressing the Touch ID button locks too. Lock, Sleep & Display Off Shortcuts adds ⌃⌥⌘L to lock, ⌃⌥⌘D to turn the display off without sleeping, and a Sleep shortcut you choose yourself.
Try free for 14 daysBuy for $19.99 Lifetime license

One of 68 fixes in MrFixable. Lifetime license, no subscription. Updated October 22, 2026. Works on macOS 14.2 Sonoma and later. Checked on macOS 26 Tahoe.

Lock, Sleep & Display Off Shortcuts in MrFixable

What Lock, Sleep & Display Off Shortcuts does

The problem
macOS locks the screen with ⌃⌘Q, but on keyboards with Touch ID there’s no shortcut to turn the display off, and Sleep is tucked away in the Apple menu. When you walk away in a hurry, the screen often stays on.
With Lock, Sleep & Display Off Shortcuts
Press ⌃⌥⌘L to lock, ⌃⌥⌘D to turn the display off, or keys of your own to sleep. Lock Now, Sleep and Display Off buttons also sit in MrFixable’s menu.
  • Lock in one press
    ⌃⌥⌘L goes straight to the login screen, like Lock Screen in the Apple menu. Your apps keep running.
  • Display off, not sleep
    ⌃⌥⌘D turns the screen dark and leaves downloads, music and everything else running.
  • Sleep on your own keys
    Sleep has no shortcut until you choose one, so it can’t clash with another app’s. It’s the same as choosing Sleep in the Apple menu.
  • Buttons in the menu
    Lock Now, Sleep and Display Off buttons sit in MrFixable’s menu, for when you’d rather click.
  • Your keys
    Set any keys you like for each one, or clear one you don’t need. If another app already uses a shortcut, MrFixable marks it.

Good to know

  • Display Off also locks your Mac if it asks for a password after the display turns off, in System Settings › Lock Screen.

  • Sleep stops downloads and music until you wake the Mac. Use Display Off if you want them to keep going.

  • Needs no special permissions. Switch it off and the shortcuts are free for other apps again.

Questions

  • How do I lock my Mac screen with a shortcut?

    Press ⌃⌘Q (Control-Command-Q). 1. Hold down Control and Command. 2. Press Q. Your Mac shows the login screen right away and your apps keep running. You can also choose Apple menu › Lock Screen. With Lock, Sleep & Display Off Shortcuts on, ⌃⌥⌘L locks it too, and you can change those keys.

  • How do I lock my MacBook screen with a shortcut?

    Press ⌃⌘Q, or press the Touch ID button at the top right of the keyboard. To make sure closing the lid or a dark screen also locks it: 1. Open System Settings › Lock Screen. 2. Set Require password after screen saver begins or display is turned off to Immediately. The MacBook then asks for your password.

  • How do I turn off my Mac display without putting it to sleep?

    Press ⌃⇧ and the power button on keyboards without Touch ID, or press ⌃⌥⌘D with Lock, Sleep & Display Off Shortcuts on. For a hot corner: 1. Open System Settings › Desktop & Dock. 2. Click Hot Corners. 3. Choose Put Display to Sleep for a corner. Downloads and music keep running.

  • How do I turn off my Mac display when mirroring?

    Close the lid and use closed-display mode. 1. Connect your MacBook to power and the external display. 2. Connect an external keyboard and a mouse or trackpad. 3. Close the lid. The external display keeps working. The Display Off shortcut in MrFixable turns every display off, so it doesn’t help here.

  • Is there a shortcut to put a Mac to sleep?

    Yes. Apple lists ⌥⌘ with the power button, and you can always choose Apple menu › Sleep. With Lock, Sleep & Display Off Shortcuts, you can set your own keys under Put the Mac to sleep. It has no default shortcut, so it can’t clash with a shortcut another app already uses.

  • How do I lock my Mac with a Windows keyboard?

    Press Ctrl+Windows+Q. On a Mac, the Windows key works as ⌘ (Command), so this is the same as ⌃⌘Q. Windows+L does nothing on a Mac, but you can set the Lock shortcut in Lock, Sleep & Display Off Shortcuts to any keys that feel natural to you, as long as no other app uses them.

Sources

Guides