How to Set Up Dynamic Lock in Windows 11

To set up Dynamic lock in Windows 11, pair your phone with the PC over Bluetooth, then open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options, expand Dynamic lock, and turn on “Allow Windows to automatically lock your device when you’re away.” From then on, when you walk off with your phone, Windows locks the PC shortly after the phone drops out of Bluetooth range.

These steps match current Windows 11 releases (versions 25H2 and 26H2) on Home and Pro. Dynamic lock works with Android phones and iPhones, and you don’t need any app on the phone. All it uses is the Bluetooth pairing.

What you need first

• A PC with Bluetooth. Most laptops have it built in. If you can’t find a Bluetooth switch under Settings > Bluetooth & devices, the PC may need a USB Bluetooth adapter or an updated Bluetooth driver.
• A phone. Microsoft’s admin documentation lists a phone as the only supported device type for Dynamic lock, so earbuds, smartwatches, and fitness bands won’t trigger it, even if they’re paired.
• A PIN, password, or Windows Hello sign-in. Locking only protects you if getting back in takes something. If your account has no sign-in method at all, a lock just shows the sign-in screen and anyone can click through.

Step 1: Pair your phone with the PC

If your phone already shows as paired under Settings > Bluetooth & devices, go straight to Step 2.

1. On the phone, turn on Bluetooth and stay on the Bluetooth settings screen. On an iPhone, that’s Settings > Bluetooth. On most Android phones, it’s Settings > Connected devices (or Connections) > Bluetooth. Leaving that screen open keeps the phone discoverable.
2. On the PC, press Windows key + I to open Settings and select Bluetooth & devices. Make sure the Bluetooth switch is On. If it’s off, here’s how to turn on Bluetooth in Windows 11.
3. Select Add device, then choose Bluetooth in the window that opens.

4. Pick your phone from the list when its name shows up.
5. The PC and the phone each show a code. If the codes match, select Pair on the phone and Connect on the PC.
6. When Windows says the device is ready, select Done. The phone now appears in your device list.

If the phone never appears, Microsoft’s Bluetooth pairing guide suggests setting Bluetooth devices discovery to Advanced (under Bluetooth & devices > Devices), then trying again.

Bluetooth pairing is all Dynamic lock needs. Phone Link, which handles texts, calls, and photos, is a separate setup. If that’s what you want, see how to connect a phone to a Windows 11 laptop.

Step 2: Turn on Dynamic lock

1. Open Settings and select Accounts in the left column.
2. Select Sign-in options. To jump straight there, press Windows key + R, type ms-settings:signinoptions, and press Enter.
3. Scroll down to the Additional settings section and select Dynamic lock to expand it.
4. Turn on Allow Windows to automatically lock your device when you’re away. Depending on your build, it’s a checkbox or a toggle.
5. Look under the option. Windows should list your phone by name as the paired device it’s watching.

There’s no Save button and no restart. The setting takes effect as soon as you turn it on. Microsoft describes the feature on its Sign-in options in Windows page (the old “Lock your Windows PC automatically when you step away” article now redirects there).

What happens when you walk away

Windows keeps checking the Bluetooth signal from your phone. Once the signal gets weak enough that the phone counts as out of range, Windows waits a short time and then locks the PC. You’ll usually see about 30 seconds of delay. Microsoft’s own wording is that the PC locks “within a minute” after you’re out of range. You come back to the normal lock screen and sign in with your PIN, password, face, or fingerprint as usual. Your open apps and files stay just as you left them.

To test it, carry your phone to another room, wait a minute or two, then come back. If the lock screen is showing, it’s working. Don’t test by turning off Bluetooth on the phone and staying at your desk. That checks something different and can bring up a warning on the Sign-in options page instead.

What Dynamic lock won’t do

• It never unlocks the PC. Bringing your phone back doesn’t sign you in. You still sign in the normal way.
• It isn’t instant. Someone could use the PC during the gap between you leaving and the lock. Microsoft’s Dynamic lock documentation also says the PC only locks if it’s idle when the signal drops. If someone starts using it before then, it won’t lock.
• Range isn’t exact. Bluetooth reaches through walls in a small apartment and drops behind a metal filing cabinet. In a small space, you may have to go farther than expected before it triggers.
• It only works when the phone goes with you. Leave the phone on your desk and the PC stays unlocked.
• There’s no timing or distance setting in the Settings app. Only IT admins can tune the signal thresholds, through Group Policy or Intune.

Treat Dynamic lock as a backup for the times you forget, not a replacement for locking the PC yourself. Windows key + L still locks it instantly, and our guide to setting up the Windows 11 lock screen covers the other ways to lock it and make it lock automatically.

How to turn Dynamic lock off

Go back to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options, expand Dynamic lock, and turn off Allow Windows to automatically lock your device when you’re away. The PC stops locking on its own right away, and your phone stays paired for anything else you use Bluetooth for. If you’d rather stop using the phone with this PC altogether, remove it under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices. That turns Dynamic lock off in practice, too.

When Dynamic lock isn’t working

The page says there’s no paired phone

If a message under Dynamic lock says it isn’t working because the PC has no paired phone, Windows can’t find a phone in your Bluetooth device list. Headphones or a watch don’t count. Pair the phone using Step 1, then reopen Sign-in options. If the phone is listed but marked as not connected, remove it, then pair it again.

Bluetooth is off on the PC or the phone

Dynamic lock needs Bluetooth on at both ends. Check the Bluetooth tile in Quick Settings (select the network, sound, or battery icon near the clock), and make sure Airplane mode isn’t on. On the phone, battery saver modes and some “nearby device” settings can switch Bluetooth off without you noticing.

The option is grayed out or missing

On a work or school PC, your organization may control Dynamic lock. Admins manage it with the Configure dynamic lock factors policy, found under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Hello for Business, or with an Intune profile. When policy manages the setting, the Settings app may show it as unavailable, or show a note that some settings are managed by your organization. Ask your IT department, since changing it yourself would go against that policy. On a home PC, a missing option usually means Windows can’t find a working Bluetooth adapter. Look for it in Device Manager under Bluetooth, and update or reinstall its driver.

It locks too slowly or not at all

A strong signal in a small home can keep the phone “in range” from the next room. Walk farther away and give it a full minute. If it still doesn’t lock, check whether something is keeping the PC busy. Dynamic lock waits for the PC to be idle, so a game controller, a remote session, or a mouse that’s being bumped can stop it from locking.

It locks while you’re sitting right there

This usually means the Bluetooth link keeps dropping. Keep the phone on the desk rather than in a back pocket or bag, move the PC away from USB 3 hubs and microwaves, and update the Bluetooth driver. If you put your phone in a drawer or a locker while you work, Dynamic lock may not suit your setup.

Other ways to lock automatically

Some newer laptops have a presence sensor that can turn off the screen when you leave and wake the PC when you come back, with no phone needed. If yours has one, look under Settings > System > Power & battery > Screen and sleep, as described in Microsoft’s presence sensing guide. On any PC, a short screen timeout combined with requiring sign-in on wake gives you a time-based lock that works alongside Dynamic lock.

Questions people ask about Dynamic lock

Does Dynamic lock work with an iPhone?

Yes. Windows treats any Bluetooth-paired phone the same way, so an iPhone works as well as an Android phone. You don’t need iCloud, Phone Link, or any app installed.

Does it drain my phone’s battery?

Dynamic lock doesn’t run anything on the phone. It relies on the same Bluetooth connection the phone keeps for watches and earbuds, so the main cost is leaving Bluetooth on. If you already keep it on, you shouldn’t see a difference.

Does each person on a shared PC need to turn it on?

Yes. Windows saves the Dynamic lock setting for each user account, so turning it on under your account doesn’t turn it on for anyone else’s. Each person signs in, opens their own Sign-in options page, and turns it on there.

Will it sign me out or close my apps?

No. It’s the same as pressing Windows key + L. Everything stays open behind the lock screen, and downloads and other background tasks keep running.

Once Dynamic lock is on, it’s worth making sure the sign-in at the other end is quick enough that you don’t mind using it. If yours is a long password, you can set up or change your PIN on Windows 11 under the same Sign-in options page.