How to check if your Mac is locked from your iPhone
To check whether your Mac is locked from your iPhone, install the free Lock Status helper on your Mac. It detects every lock, unlock, and sleep, then syncs that status through your own private iCloud to the iPhone app and its optional Pro widgets. Setup takes about a minute — no servers, no login, and the maker never sees your data.
What you'll need
- A Mac and an iPhone signed in to the same iCloud (Apple Account).
- The free Lock Status Mac helper — a tiny menu-bar app, signed and notarized by Apple.
- The Lock Status iPhone app — free to use, coming soon to the App Store.
There's no account to create and nothing to configure on a server, because there is no server.
Set it up in three steps
1. Install the free Mac helper
Download the Lock Status helper and open it. It lives quietly in your menu bar, watching for the moments your Mac locks, unlocks, or falls asleep. It's signed and notarized by Apple, so it installs cleanly on any Mac — nothing to configure beyond the iCloud you already use.
2. It syncs through your iCloud
Each time the status changes, the helper writes it to your own private iCloud. Nothing passes through our servers — we don't have any — and there's no login. Only your devices, on your Apple Account, can read it.
3. Glance from your iPhone
Open the Lock Status app and each Mac shows up automatically with its current state — Unlocked, Locked, Asleep, or Offline — updated the moment it changes. No pairing codes, no extra logins.
Add a widget so you never open the app
With the optional Pro subscription you can place Lock Status on your Home Screen and Lock Screen. Then checking your Mac is as fast as glancing at your phone — no tapping, no unlocking. Widgets are part of Pro, along with usage insights and full history; they aren't in the free version.
What each status means
- Unlocked — your Mac is awake and in use.
- Locked — the screen is locked.
- Asleep — the Mac has gone to sleep.
- Offline — Lock Status can't currently confirm the state, so it says so honestly rather than showing a false "all clear."
Is it private?
Yes — that's the whole design. The status syncs only through your own private iCloud, which we can't access. There's no Lock Status account, no login, and no tracking, so there's nothing external to leak.
Frequently asked questions
Does it work with more than one Mac?
Yes. Run the free helper on each Mac and every machine appears in the iPhone app, each with its own independent live status.
Do I need to keep the app open?
No. The Mac helper runs in the menu bar and keeps detecting lock, unlock, and sleep in the background, and on your iPhone the status (and the widgets) update on their own.
Does it work when I'm away from home?
Yes. Because it syncs through iCloud rather than your local network, you can check your Mac from anywhere your iPhone has a connection. If it can't confirm the state, it shows Offline rather than guessing.
Is it free?
The Mac helper and the iPhone app are free to use. Pro is an optional subscription that adds Home & Lock Screen widgets, usage insights, and full history.
Want the bigger picture first? See how Lock Status works.