Safety of the device is essential when in a co-working space. You can carry your phones in your pocket but not your laptop. You can password-protect your laptop and lock it whenever you leave your desk for a few minutes. This way, no one can access it without your permission. 

But we are humans, and forgetting things is our nature. It can happen that you left your desk and forgot to lock your laptop. Now, anyone can take advantage of the moment and access your device and its personal information. To overcome such issues, Microsoft introduced the Dynamic Lock feature. 

The Dynamic Lock is not fail-proof and can stop working. If the Dynamic Lock is not working on the Windows 11 PC, we will guide you on how to fix it. 

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What is Dynamic Lock and How Does it Work?

Dynamic Lock is a security feature introduced by Microsoft for Windows 10 and 11. The feature works when you pair a Bluetooth device to your PC and set up a dynamic lock with that device. 

Windows will always look for the Bluetooth device and lock/unlock the system accordingly. For instance, you have paired your phone with the PC for the Dynamic Lock. When you leave the desk and keep your phone in your pocket connected to your PC, Windows will recognize that the connected device is not in range and lock your PC. 

Now you might wonder, what if my Bluetooth device is in the bag, and you are working on your PC? Will it still be locked? The simple answer to this is no. Windows will only lock your system if the Bluetooth device is not in the range and there’s no input for 30 seconds. 

Why is my Dynamic Lock Not Working on Windows 11?

No matter how useful a feature may sound, some issues will always be associated with it, and the same is the case with Dynamic Lock. If Dynamic Lock is not working on Windows 11, then the following reasons can be the culprit behind it-

  • Dynamic Lock is turned off
  • There’s some issue with the Bluetooth services running on your PC
  • Bluetooth drivers are outdated or corrupted
  • Power management settings are interrupting the connectivity between your phone and your PC
  • Corrupted system files can also cause issues with dynamic Lock on Windows 11
  • There’s some connectivity issue between your PC and the Bluetooth device you are using. 
  • Misconfigured Windows settings are another common cause of dynamic Lock not working on Windows PCs. 

Fix Dynamic Lock Not Working on Windows

Are you unable to set up and use Dynamic Lock on your Windows PC? Here are the steps to fix this issue-

1. Turn on Dynamic Lock

Ensure the dynamic lock feature on your Windows PC is enabled. You can follow the steps mentioned below to check and enable dynamic Lock-

  1. Open the Settings app by pressing Windows + I. 
  2. Now, click on the Accounts tab on the left. 
  3. On the right, click on Sin-in Options.Sin-in Options
  4. Now, click the Dynamic Lock option, and check the checkbox saying ‘Allow Windows to automatically lock your device when you’re away.’Allow Windows to automatically lock your device when you’re away

2. Disconnect and Reconnect Device

You must ensure your phone’s Bluetooth is on and your phone is connected to your PC. However, if it is connected to your PC but still facing issues with the Dynamic Lock, then you can disconnect your device from the PC and reconnect it. 

  1. Head to the Windows Settings, and click the Bluetooth & Devices tab on the left pane. 
  2. Now, click on View more devices. View more devices
  3. Look for your phone connected to your PC, click on the three dots next to it, and then click on Remove Device. Do not close the window you are on.Remove Device
  4. Open your phone’s Bluetooth Settings, tap on your PC from the paired devices, and click Unpair to unpair them.
  5. Now, on your PC, click on the Add Device button. 
  6. Next, click on Bluetooth. 
  7. You will see your phone here; click on it. 
  8. After this, you will see the pairing code on the phone and PC; confirm it and select Pair on both devices to pair them. 

3. Update Bluetooth Drivers

If Dynamic Lock is not working on Windows, it can be due to outdated Bluetooth drivers. 

Try updating the Bluetooth drivers of your Windows PC to the latest version to resolve this issue. You can utilize Device Manager to update the Bluetooth drivers-

  1. Open the Device Manager from the Windows Menu that opens up by pressing the Windows + X key combo. 
  2. Expand the Bluetooth list here. 
  3. Right-click on your Bluetooth driver (generally from Intel), and then click on Update Driver.Update Driver
  4. Click on Search Automatically for Drivers to update the driver from the internet. 

4. Reinstall Bluetooth Drivers

If your Bluetooth drivers are already updated to the latest version, then probably the drivers are buggy or corrupted, and that’s why you are facing this issue. Try reinstalling the drivers by following the steps given below to fix the issue-

  1. On your PC, launch Device Manager. 
  2. Under the Bluetooth, right-click on your Bluetooth driver, then select Uninstall Device.Uninstall Device
  3. To confirm, click on Uninstall from the pop-up that opens up. 
  4. Once done, you must restart your PC to reinstall the driver. 

5. Restart Bluetooth Services

Bluetooth services must be running to maintain a proper connection between the device and the PC. If these services are stopped or not running, it can cause Bluetooth connectivity issues. You can restart the Bluetooth services by following the steps given below to fix this issue-

  1. Launch the Start Menu and search for Services and press Enter button.search for services
  2. Look for the Bluetooth Support Service, right-click on it, and then click on the Start option.Bluetooth Support Service
  3. Similarly, restart the BluetoothUserService_3f2a9 service. 

6. Run SFC Scan

As discussed above, corrupted system files can also cause this issue. You can run the SFC scan through the Command Prompt to scan for corrupted system files and fix them. 

  1. Press the Windows + S key combo and search for CMD. Right-click on the Command Prompt and then click on Run As Administrator. Run as administrator command prompt
  2. In the Command Prompt, type and execute the command given below to run SFC Scan-sfc scan 
    • sfc /scannow
  3. Once the scan is completed, close the Command Prompt window and restart your PC. 

7. Check Power Management Settings

Sometimes, the power management settings can also interfere with the Bluetooth connectivity between your phone and PC and cause this issue. Check the power management settings and see if they are causing the issue with the dynamic Lock on your Windows PC. 

  1. Launch the Device Manager from the Start Menu. open Windows device manager
  2. Expand Bluetooth, right-click on the Bluetooth driver, and then click Properties. click Properties
  3. Under the Power Management tab, uncheck the option saying ‘Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.’ Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power
  4. Click OK and close the Device Manager. 

8. Make Changes to the Group Policy Editor

You can change the Group Policy Editor and enable the Dynamic Lock feature. This should most probably fix the issue with the dynamic Lock.

However, note that you cannot continue with this method on Windows 11 Home, so if you have Windows 11 Home, you can continue with the Registry Editor method mentioned in the next step. 

  1. Press the Windows + R key combo, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.gpedit.msc 
  2. Navigate to the following path in the Group Policy Editor- 
    • Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Hello for Business
  3. Now, open Configure dynamic lock factors on the right pane. Configure dynamic lock factors
  4. On the next screen, select Enabled. Click on Apply and then on OK to save the changes. 
  5. A restart will be required for the changes to be applied. 

9. Make Changes to the Registry Editor

For Windows 11 Home users who cannot follow the Group Policy Editor Method, they can make changes to the Registry Editor to fix this issue. Here’s how-

  1. Click on the Windows icon and search for Registry Editor. Open the Registry Editor form here. Registry-Editor from search bar
  2. Now, enter the following path in the address bar of the Registry Editor- 
    • Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
  3. Here, double-click on the EnableGoodby option to make changes to it. Right-click the EnableGoodbye
  4. Under the Value Data option, enter 1 and click on OK. Under the Value Data option, enter 1
  5. Now, close the Registry Editor and restart your system. 

10. Reset PC

Still, facing issues with the dynamic Lock? If Dynamic Lock is not working on Windows 11, it can be due to third-party apps installed on your system, recent Windows updates, misconfigured settings, etc. You can reset your PC to revert your system to the factory default version and fix this issue. 

  1. Open the Start Menu, type Reset this PC, and press Enter. Reset this PC
  2. Next, click on the Reset PC button. reset pc
  3. Select the Remove Everything option if you want to remove all the files and apps from your PC. If you want to keep your files but delete the apps and settings you have done, click on the Keep My Files option.Keep my Files
  4. Now, follow the instructions given to reset the PC. 
  5. Once it has been done, you will have to set up your PC. 
  6. After the setup, pair your phone to your PC through Bluetooth and turn on Dynamic Lock. 

Bottom Line

Dynamic Lock is a useful feature, especially for those who work on their PC in a co-working environment. However, if, for some reason, dynamic Lock is not working on your Windows 11 PC, then the above guide should help you troubleshoot it. 

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