iMac with lonk magic keyboard with lock button abov the Delete button: Too easy to lock screen requiriemn to enter password each time.

iMac with long magic keyboard with lock button above the Delete button is too easy to inadvertently strike.

Too easy to lock screen requiring me to enter password each time. Work Time sucking. Help?


Posted on Sep 19, 2025 11:02 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 20, 2025 9:37 AM

macOS doesn’t let you outright disable that button through System Settings, since it’s treated as a system-level shortcut (similar to Control–Command–Q). That’s why every time you tap it, the screen locks immediately and forces you to enter your password or Touch ID.


There are a few workarounds though.

  • The simplest is to adjust System SettingsLock Screen and change the “Require password after screen saver or sleep begins” option to something more forgiving, like 5 minutes instead of “immediately.” That way, if you accidentally bump the key, you won’t have to re-enter your password unless enough time has passed.
  • Alternately, If you really want to block it, the only potentially reliable way is with a third-party key remapping utility ... something like Karabiner-Elements. With that, you can remap or disable the Lock key entirely, so pressing it won’t trigger anything.
2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 20, 2025 9:37 AM in response to chicob

macOS doesn’t let you outright disable that button through System Settings, since it’s treated as a system-level shortcut (similar to Control–Command–Q). That’s why every time you tap it, the screen locks immediately and forces you to enter your password or Touch ID.


There are a few workarounds though.

  • The simplest is to adjust System SettingsLock Screen and change the “Require password after screen saver or sleep begins” option to something more forgiving, like 5 minutes instead of “immediately.” That way, if you accidentally bump the key, you won’t have to re-enter your password unless enough time has passed.
  • Alternately, If you really want to block it, the only potentially reliable way is with a third-party key remapping utility ... something like Karabiner-Elements. With that, you can remap or disable the Lock key entirely, so pressing it won’t trigger anything.

iMac with lonk magic keyboard with lock button abov the Delete button: Too easy to lock screen requiriemn to enter password each time.

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