Some Windows 11 PCs have a presence sensor built in. If your PC has one, you can have your screen turn off automatically when you leave, and then have your device wake up quickly when you approach. This can help keep your PC more secure, help save battery power, and help you get back to work more quickly.
To determine if your PC has a presence sensor, check to see if it has the Presence Sensing settings mentioned below. If it does, you can turn it on or off and change settings for it anytime—you’re in control. For more info, see the Microsoft Privacy Statement.
To change your presence settings
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Select the Start button, then enter settings. Select Settings > System > Power & battery .
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On the Power & battery screen, select Screen and sleep.
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Turn on one or both of the following:
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To have your screen turn off when you leave, turn on Automatically turn off my screen when I leave.
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To have your device wake when you approach it, turn on Automatically wake up my device when I approach.
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To change Presence Sensing settings, select More options next to Automatically turn off my screen when I leave or Automatically wake up my device when I approach.
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In Presence Sensing settings, you can then change these settings:
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Consider me gone when I’m this far away: The distance that determines when you have left your PC.
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Then, turn off my screen after this amount of time: How long to wait before your screen turns off after you have left your PC.
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Lock my device when I leave while an external display is connected: Determines if the screen turns off when you leave and you have an external monitor connected.
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Wake my device when I’m this close: Determines how close you need to be for your PC to wake when you approach it.
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Wake my device when I approach while an external display is connected: Determines if your PC wakes when you approach and you have an external monitor connected.
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Don't wake my device when I approach while battery saver is on: Determines if your PC wakes when you approach and your PC is on Battery Saver mode.
Note: Some devices might have more than one presence sensor. If so, you can choose which one you want to use.
May 2023 update for Windows 11 22H2 and later: Wake on approach can be enabled on systems that support S3 sleep state, such as desktops. For USB-connected presence sensors to work properly on these systems, you'll need to enable USB Wake Support (or a similarly named option) in BIOS settings.
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To control which apps can access your presence sensor
You can allow some apps to access your presence sensors, while still preventing access to others. Here's how:
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Select the Start button, then select Settings > Privacy & security > Presence Sensing.
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Ensure that Presence Sensing access and Let apps access Presence Sensing are set to On.
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Locate the app you wish to allow access to your presence sensor and set that app to On as well. If you cannot locate the app, it's likely a desktop app. Desktop apps cannot be individually toggled, but access for those apps can be controlled as a group using Let desktop apps access Presence Sensing.
If Presence Sensing isn't working as expected for you, let us know in the Feedback Hub.
