Overview
Locking works on every platform you can manage:
macOS |
Windows |
Linux |
iOS / iPadOS |
Android |
|---|---|---|---|---|
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
Nothing is erased. The device stays exactly as it was, behind a locked screen.
How to use
- Open Devices and select the device
- Click Actions > Lock
- Confirm
The screen locks and the person holding the device is asked for credentials before they can get back in. What those credentials are depends on the platform — that is the part worth reading before you click.
What unlocking looks like, by platform
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macOS. The Mac displays a six-digit PIN on screen. That PIN is shown to you at the moment you trigger the lock — write it down then, because that is how the Mac gets unlocked. Enter it on the device and it carries on as normal, with nothing lost.
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Windows. The lock is the same one a user gets by pressing Windows + L. It takes effect straight away, and an administrator unlocks it with their usual Windows password or PIN.
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Linux. The agent runs a script that locks the desktop session. What that looks like depends on which desktop environment the machine runs, so behaviour varies more than on the other platforms.
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iPhone and iPad. Locking puts the device into Lost Mode, which is more than a locked screen: the device shows a message and a contact number you choose, and its location is tracked while it stays in that state. This needs a supervised device with management turned on. To release it, open the device and click Actions > Unlock.
- Android. The screen locks immediately and the employee gets back in with their own passcode, PIN or pattern. Nothing is erased. It works on both company-owned and personally-owned devices. If the employee has forgotten their passcode, locking is not your problem — clearing the passcode is.
Tips and Best Practices
- Copy the macOS PIN the moment it appears. It is the only way back into that Mac, and it is shown once.
- Lock first, decide later. Locking buys you time with no consequences. A wipe does not come back.
- Use Lost Mode's message field properly. "Lost property — call 01234 567890" on the lock screen recovers more phones than a blank locked screen does.
- Do not lock a device to force an employee to respond. It blocks their work and the recovery path can be awkward on Linux and macOS. Call them.
Troubleshooting and FAQ
Troubleshooting
- You no longer have the macOS PIN. Nothing else unlocks that Mac remotely. Recovery means erasing the device, which is why the PIN is worth recording at the moment of locking.
- Lost Mode is not available on an iPhone. The device is not supervised, or management is off. Lost Mode needs both.
- The lock did nothing on Linux. The script depends on the desktop environment. On an unusual one, or on a machine with no graphical session, there may be nothing to lock.
- The employee unlocked the device straight away on Android. That is how it works — Android asks for the credential the employee already knows. If you need to deny access, wipe the device instead.
FAQ
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Does locking erase anything?
No. Nothing on the device changes.
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Can the employee unlock it themselves?
On Windows and Android, yes, with their usual credentials. On macOS they need the PIN from you. On iPhone and iPad you release Lost Mode from your side.
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Should we lock or wipe a stolen laptop?
Lock immediately, then wipe once you accept it is not coming back. Locking is reversible and costs nothing; wiping is not.
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Does Lost Mode track location continuously?
The location is tracked while the device stays in Lost Mode. Taking it out of Lost Mode ends that.