news
Manuviraj is a tech enthusiast who covers Windows, macOS, and retrocomputing. Drawn to both the logic and the creativity of technology, he’s especially interested in how people interact with tech and the internet every day.
He holds an English Literature degree. His fascination with tech grew alongside a love for speculative worlds: cyberpunk and sci-fi literature shaped the way he thinks about the future of machines and humans sharing space.
Outside the screen, Manuviraj’s world runs on two wheels and good sound. He’s into motorcycling, constantly exploring new music, and tinkering with digital tools just to see what they’re capable of. Whether he’s breaking down complex software topics or diving into niche corners of tech culture, he’s driven by the same thing: figuring out how things work, and how they could work better. You can also read his work on his Substack.
My favorite Windows features aren’t the grandiose ones that let you do a bunch of stuff in one sweep. What impresses me are the ones that do one particular thing, no matter how minuscule, well. Often, these are things that you didn’t know you needed, but living without them becomes impossible. One such feature is Dynamic Lock. I went years without knowing it existed, despite it serving a genuinely useful purpose for my use case: it automatically locks my computer when I’m away from it.
With Dynamic Lock enabled, I no longer have to worry about anyone peeking at my screen when I forget to lock my laptop while stepping out of a café or coworking space. It’s also surprisingly easy to set up: all you need is a Bluetooth-enabled PC and phone.
Dynamic Lock kicks in as soon as you step away
By soon I mean 30 seconds
Dynamic Lock is a feature that was first introduced in the Windows 10 Creators Update in 2017. Since then, it has practically remained unchanged, even on Windows 11. When enabled, Dynamic Lock monitors the Bluetooth signal strength between your PC and your phone, and locks your PC as soon as the signal strength falls below a certain threshold. However, this doesn’t happen instantly: it takes about 30 seconds for Windows to lock itself once the Bluetooth signal weakens.
To begin using Dynamic Lock, you’ll need to pair your Android or iOS device to your Windows device. To do this, make sure your Windows PC is discoverable by going to Settings> Bluetooth & devices, and switching ON the Bluetooth slider. On Windows 10, go to Settings > Devices> Bluetooth & other devices. You can then go to the Bluetooth settings on your Android or iOS smartphone, look for your PC, and pair the two devices.
Once you’ve paired your smartphone to your Windows PC using Bluetooth, you can begin using Dynamic Lock. To enable it, open the Settings app, then navigate to Accounts> Sign-in options. Expand the Dynamic lock section, and tick the Allow Windows to automatically lock your device when you’re away option to enable Dynamic Lock.
The feature worked smoothly when I paired my iPhone 14 Pro to my Surface Laptop 3. However, there was an isolated incident where my laptop locked itself while my iPhone was in proximity. Maybe the fact that power-saving modes were enabled on both devices had something to do with that.
Dynamic Lock still has some shortcomings
Think of it as an added layer of security, not a replacement for manual locking
One of my major qualms with Dynamic Lock is that it doesn’t lock my PC instantly. Your PC will need to satisfy two conditions for the feature to activate: the Bluetooth signal strength should be adequately low and the PC should be idle. Once these conditions are met, then your PC will lock after 30 seconds. So, if someone were to move the cursor before those 30 seconds have passed, the feature wouldn’t kick in. If you want your PC to lock instantly, the Windows Key + L shortcut is still the way to go.
I also wish there was an easy way to sign in after Dynamic Lock was activated. You’ll still need to enter your password/PIN to sign back in. This doesn’t affect me much on my Surface Laptop, thanks to another underrated Windows feature called Windows Hello, which makes signing-in a breeze (you can enable Windows Hello in the Sign-in options page in Windows Settings). But, I do get tired of typing in my long-ish password repeatedly on the other Windows devices I own that don’t have Windows Hello. I wish Windows would unlock itself as soon as my phone comes back in range again.
Dynamic Lock was pretty consistent on my iPhone – Surface Laptop combo. However, it was a different story on my Windows desktop: I noticed frequent false locks when using Dynamic Lock on it, the reason for which is probably the fact that it doesn’t have in-built Bluetooth (I use a USB Bluetooth adapter with it). All things considered, I strictly use Dynamic Lock as an added security layer for the times I do forget to lock my PC when I step away from it, not as my primary locking mechanism.
I can’t go back to using my laptop without Dynamic Lock
If you’re like me, and frequently work in public places like libraries, cafés, and coworking spaces, keeping Dynamic Lock enabled is a good idea. I like to think I’m a careful person, but I often forget to lock my laptop when I step away from it to place my elaborate coffee order, or take an important phone call. In such cases, it’s best to have an added security layer to prevent people from snooping.
Discover more from PMN S.P.O.R.T.S - A PRIME MEDIA NETWORK BRAND
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
