How to disable Lock Screen on Windows 11

If you don't find a use for the Lock screen, you can disable the feature on Windows 11, and here's how.

Windows 11 Lock screen disable
Windows 11 Lock screen disable
  • To disable Lock Screen on Windows 11, open Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Personalization, and enable the “Do not display the lock screen” policy.
  • Another way to disable this feature is to open the Registry in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Personalization, create the “Nolockscreen” DWORD and set its value to “1.”

Windows 11 does not include an option to disable the Lock Screen, but you can still use the Local Group Policy Editor and Registry to accomplish the task.

The Lock Screen is the first visual experience when Windows 11 starts, and it shows the date and time, app status, and a custom background image, depending on your configuration. The only caveat is that it can add an extra step to the sign-in process, but you can disable the feature if you don’t find it helpful.

This guide will teach you the steps to skip the Lock Screen directly to the Sign-in screen on Windows 11.

Disable Lock Screen from Group Policy on Windows 11

On Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education, you can use the Local Group Policy Editor to disable the feature.

To disable the Lock Screen on Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open Start on Windows 11.

  2. Search for gpedit, and select the top result to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

  3. Browse the following path:

    Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Personalization
  4. Double-click the “Do not display the lock screen” policy.

    Personalization policies

  5. Select the Enabled option.

    Windows 11 disable Lock screen

  6. Click the Apply button.

  7. Click the OK button.

  8. Restart the computer.

Once you complete the steps, the next time the laptop or desktop computer starts, the Sign-in screen will appear instead of the Lock Screen.

Remove Lock Screen from Registry on Windows 11

Although Windows 11 Home does not have the Local Group Policy Editor, you can still disable the feature, but you will need to edit the Registry. This method also works for Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions of Windows 11.

Warning: Modifying the Registry can cause serious problems if not used properly. It is assumed you know what you are doing and have created a full backup of your system before proceeding.

To remove the Lock Screen from the Registry on Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.

  2. Search for regedit, and select the top result to open the Registry.

  3. Browse the following path:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows
  4. Right-click the Windows key (folder), select the New submenu and choose the Key option.

    Personalization key

  5. Name the key Personalization and press Enter.

  6. Right-click the Personalization folder, select the New submenu, and choose the DWORD option.

    NoLockScreen DWORD

  7. Name the key Nolockscreen and press Enter.

  8. Double-click the “Nolockscreen” key and set its value data from 0 to 1.

    Registry disable Lock screen

  9. Click the OK button.

  10. Reboot the computer.

After you complete the steps, the Lock Screen will be removed, and the Sign-in screen should appear instead.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].