As I outlined in No More Butt Dialing, the easiest way to prevent your iPhone from acting out of turn, as it were, is to lock it before putting it away.

Each Apple device has one or methods to lock. This can prevent others from accessing it (unless they know your password or passcode) as well as save energy used to display content on a screen.

Client Notes

Last week, I coached Laurie to clean up her Desktop whose stacks are overloaded, assessed Kiki’s old Mac to prepare for an upgrade, helped Genna patiently navigate Google account recovery, and explored some ways Nan can organize and edit her photos.

I also helped Dawn out of a jam I’ve seen recently with some other clients whose Apple Silicon Macs wouldn’t start up properly. The solution has been to disconnect a backup drive from the Mac, start the computer in Safe Mode, then restart normally and reconnect the drive. I think a diagnostic during the safe boot process resolves the issue.

iPhone & iPad Buttons

Press the Button

All iPhones and iPads still have a physical “Side Button” or “Top Button” used to wake or lock a device. When the screen is awake, simply press the button once to put the screen to sleep.

Whether your device allows you to tap the screen or push a button to wake the screen, doing also requires your biometric (face or fingerprint) or passcode to unlock.

Mac Lock Screen Command

Lock a Mac

On a Mac, the process is a little different. While you can put a Mac to sleep or wait for it to do so, these depend on specific settings for when the device requires a biometric or password to unlock.

One approach is to use the Lock Screen command in the Apple menu or keyboard shortcut Control+Command+Q. Since the Apple menu pervades macOS, this command is always available, no matter what application is active.

Alternatively, if your keyboard has Touch ID, you can press the key containing the sensor to lock your Mac. (Of course, touching the key again will unlock.)

Bonus Tip: To put the display to sleep after locking, press Escape once if your Mac has only one user account or twice if it has more than one.

Lock your device to keep it safe from prying eyes, prevent it from misbehaving, or simply to save energy. Plus, when a device sometimes malfunctions, locking and unlocking it can be a quick method to make it work again.