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Turn on Dynamic lock in Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options, then pair your phone with the PC over Bluetooth and take the phone with you when you leave. Microsoft says Windows locks within a minute after the phone moves out of Bluetooth range. If Dynamic lock is unavailable, configure sign-in after sleep as an inactivity-based fallback.

Set up Dynamic lock with your phone

  1. On your PC, open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
  2. Under Additional settings, turn on Dynamic lock. It is available only on compatible hardware. Microsoft’s Sign-in options guidance explains the feature.
  3. If your phone is not paired with the PC, make sure the PC supports Bluetooth and Bluetooth is on. In Windows 11, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices and switch Bluetooth on. Make the phone discoverable.
  4. Select the Network, Sound, or Battery icon beside the clock, open the Bluetooth device-management chevron, and choose your phone under New devices. Follow the pairing prompts and select Done. See Microsoft’s Bluetooth pairing instructions.
  5. Take the paired phone with you when you walk away. Pairing and enabling Dynamic lock are separate steps: pairing alone does not turn on automatic locking.

What Dynamic lock does—and what it does not promise

Dynamic lock uses the Bluetooth connection between your PC and phone as a proximity signal. When the signal indicates the phone is no longer nearby, Windows locks the PC. Microsoft’s stated timing is “within a minute after you’re out of Bluetooth range.” The guidance does not give a fixed distance or promise an instantaneous lock.

Compatibility depends on the PC’s hardware and Bluetooth setup. Microsoft does not guarantee a particular phone brand or Bluetooth adapter will work with Dynamic lock, so do not assume that every Bluetooth-capable combination supports it.

Use an inactivity-based fallback

If Dynamic lock is missing or unsuitable, configure Windows to require sign-in when the PC wakes from sleep, then set when the display or PC should sleep. Microsoft suggests 10 or 15 minutes of inactivity as a usual interval, but recommends choosing a period that suits your needs. This is a flexible suggestion, not a required security setting.

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Microsoft notes that letting the screen sleep is enough to activate the lock when sign-in on wake is required. Putting the PC itself to sleep as well can save electricity. Unlike Dynamic lock, this fallback responds to the sleep interval you configure, not to your phone leaving Bluetooth range. Microsoft’s power and sleep guidance covers the related settings.

Lock immediately with a keyboard shortcut

Press Windows key + L whenever you want to lock the PC yourself. Locking secures the device while leaving your apps and files open in the background; signing out is different and closes your session. Microsoft lists the shortcut in its Windows keyboard shortcuts reference.

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