How can I increase the screen lock time in Windows 11 to prevent it from locking too quickly?

How can I increase the screen lock time in Windows 11 to prevent it from locking too quickly?
Lately, I’ve been finding it quite frustrating that my Windows 11 screen locks too quickly, especially when I’m in the middle of reading or working on something important. It feels like I’m constantly entering my password to unlock the screen, disrupting my workflow. I understand the need for security, but I believe there’s a balance between security and convenience. I’m looking for a way to extend the screen lock time, but I’m not sure how to adjust these settings properly in Windows 11. Can someone guide me on where to find these options and how to configure them so that I don’t have to keep unlocking my screen so frequently? My goal is to have a screen lock time that better suits my pace of work without compromising too much on security.
5 Answers

To change the lock timeout, follow these detailed steps:
- Press
Windows + R
to open the Run dialog. Typecontrol
and hit Enter to open Control Panel. - In Control Panel, select System and Security.
- Next, click on Power Options.
- Click on Change plan settings next to your selected power plan.
- Here, you can adjust the Turn off the display and Put the computer to sleep settings.
- To further refine these settings, click Change advanced power settings.
- A new window will open where you can expand the Display section and adjust the Turn off display after setting for both plugged in and on battery.
Following these steps has significantly reduced my interruptions from the screen locking.

To resolve the issue of the screen locking too soon, implement the following advice:
- Click on the Start menu, and head over to Settings.
- Go to Accounts and then Sign-in options.
- Here, under the Require sign-in section, select the drop-down menu and choose Never.
This will stop the system from asking for a password immediately after waking up from sleep, but it’s important to manually set the screen timeout to a time that balances security with user experience.

In a professional setting, I understand how disruptive short screen lock times can be. Here’s my approach using the Control Panel for more granular control:
- Run the command
control
to open Control Panel. - Navigate to Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
- Click on Choose when to turn off the display on the left.
- Set the screen’s turn-off times for both On battery and Plugged in to more extended durations, depending on your needs.
- Ensuring the suspending actions are well-aligned, click on Change advanced power settings and tweak any necessary settings under the Sleep section.
These steps cater not just to the screen lock duration but also to other power features, optimizing the overall experience.

Here’s how I managed to adjust the screen lock time in Windows 11:
- First, I right-clicked on the Start button and selected Settings.
- I navigated to Personalization and then clicked on Lock screen.
- After that, I clicked on Screen timeout settings under the Related settings section.
- From there, I noticed options to adjust when to turn off the screen and when to put the device to sleep.
- I set the screen to turn off after 15 minutes when plugged in and 10 minutes on battery, ensuring the device doesn’t lock too soon while I’m working.
This adjustment allowed me to balance security and convenience quite effectively.

Here’s what I did to extend the screen lock time in Windows 11:
- I opened the Settings app by pressing
Windows + I
. - Then, I selected on System.
- I clicked on Power & battery.
- Under the Screen and sleep settings, I observed that there were options for adjusting when to turn off the screen and when to put the device to sleep.
- I changed the times to my preferences, ensuring that both the screen timeout and sleep mode were set to a longer duration.
By following these steps, I managed to keep my screen active for a longer period without it locking too soon.