MacBooks are shiny gadgets that a lot of people are drawn to. Of course, most professionals opt for MacBook due to its functionality and smooth processing. But having an Apple device at home, even a MacBook, means your pets and children will be attracted to it.

So, how do you ensure they don’t interfere with your work and make a blunder? You do that by locking your MacBook’s keyboard. It is a super easy process, and there are several ways through which you can close a MacBook keyboard.

In this article, we will discuss a few methods to conveniently lock the Mac keyboard.

Is It Possible to Disable MacBook Keyboard?

Yes, it is. You are disabling an external keyboard on MacBook. Therefore, you have to follow some careful steps to lock your device conveniently.

Once the input is turned off, you can easily clean it or leave it on your desk. The laptop owner will be at peace knowing the laptop won’t disrupt their ongoing work by anyone.

How to Temporarily Disable Mac Keyboard?

You might need to temporarily lock your Mac keyboard for several reasons, whether you’d like your pets to keep their paws off your system or to keep your child at bay.

Here is the easiest method to lock the keyboard temporarily,

  • Step 1 – Go to the Menu icon, click the account icon, open System Preferences, and click Accessibility.
  • Step 2 – A list will appear. Click on Mouse and Trackpad icon from the top left corner.
  • Step 3 – Click Options from the top-right corner alongside the Enable Mouse Keys checkbox.
  • Step 4 – Put a check in ignoring Built-In Trackpad When Mouse Key is On, and click OK.

This should lock your keyboard, and you can turn it on later.

How to Turn Off Keyboard Lock?

Now that you know how to disable your laptop keyboard temporarily, how would you turn it back on? It’s pretty easy.

You must follow these steps,

  • Step 1 – Go to Menu Bar and click Settings with the curved arrow pointing. Find the Personal section and then click Languages and Inputs.
  • Step 2 – Click Default, and it should restore your keyboard.

Ensure the check box next to the keyboard is active.

How to Lock MacBook Pro Laptop Keyboard Shortcut?

If you want to cat or baby-proof your entire system, you can follow these steps to lock your computer. One drawback of this method is that you cannot use your system when it is in Disable Mode.

Here are the steps that you can follow,

  • Step 1 – Command + Option + Control + Eject / Power. This is the shortcut to sleep.  
  • Step 2 – To lock your Mac and put it to sleep, and turn on Screen Saver Mode, press: Command + Option + Eject / Power. This should turn off your display.
  • Step 3 – Shift + Control + Eject / Power. This way, you can restart the Mac by using the keyboard shortcut.

You can also turn off your MacBook Pro input by going to System Preferences and following the previous steps.

How to Reset Keyboard to Normal If The Keys Stop Working?

A lot of times, your keyboard can start misbehaving after turning it back on. So how do you make sure it is set back to standard functionality?

Well, follow these steps to set your keyboard back to normal.

  • Step 1 – You will find the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of your screen. Click it and go to System Preferences.
  • Step 2 – Select Keyboard.
  • Step 3 – At the bottom right-hand corner of the keyboard tab, click Modifier Keys.
  • Step 4 – A window should open with the prompt Restore Defaults. Click Ok.

Lock Screen to Keep Your Progress Safe

In case you don’t want to lock your keys but would like to keep your progress safe. Then instead of shutting off the computer with the power button, you can lock a MacBook’s external display with this method,

  • Tap the Apple icon in the menu bar.
  • It will open a dropdown menu; click Lock Screen.
  • Your MacBook will be locked.

You can also use keyboard shortcuts to ensure your progress remains safe,

Press Control + Command + Q: This keyboard shortcut will take you directly to the lock screen.

Press Control + Shift + Power button: This shortcut will only turn off your display while the background apps keep running.

Press Command + Option + Power button:  This should activate sleep mode.

Use Third-Party Apps to Lock the Keyboard on MacBook

Another option that you can utilize to lock your Mac or computer keyboard is to download a third-party application.

Some third-party applications like Keyboard Locker, Lockey, and Karabiner Element will lock your input while leaving the system applications on. These apps are straightforward to download and run on Windows machines, but they might give Apple users a bit of a hard time.

Features of Third-Party Applications

These apps are handy since you can customize them according to your need. For instance, you can set up gestures to automatically lock your system, turn on screen saver mode and keep your pets or kids at bay.

You can even turn off the lock screen on the latest MacBook Pro to ensure nobody can access your touch bar. The lock screen is fundamental when it comes to touch laptops. Locking your touch bar and disabling keyboard input will also save your work progress.

You can instantly establish two keyboard shortcuts to lock the system when needed on a Mac computer. You can also ask the system to require a password to re-enable your input.

These applications will work on most MacBooks. However, some third-party apps may fail with the latest system updates.

Conclusion

So, this is everything we could gather on how to lock a Mac keyboard. Of course, you can always download the keyboard cleaner from the Apple menu to ensure your system keeps working smoothly. As you have read, various ways to lock a Mac system exist. You can use any of these methods at your convenience and need.