Is there a shortcut which invokes the "Login Window..." fast user switching command?

Question

Firstly, let me say that there's two questions on Think Different that claim to answer this question but do not:

1. Does the MacBook Air have a Fast User Switching (Login Window) shortcut key? The answer to this question seems to "lock" the mac, but doesn't invoke the "Login Window..." command.
2. Can I assign a keyboard shortcut to bring up the Mac OS X Login Window? The answer to this question provides a shortcut which initiates a log out, not a user fast switch.

So, is there a shortcut for this command?

thanks.

Answer 1

The short answer is no. OS X Lion doesn't have a way to assign a keyboard shortcut to Fast User Switching (which is going to the Login Window without logging off the current user).

There are, however, various alternatives to achieve that. You've pointed to different workarounds (I haven't tested those), I'll name a few more:

• What I use: Launchbar. Simply invoke it, type "log.." and you already have the option to press enter to go to the login window, can't get much faster than that (you could assign a shortcut to that if you wish).

• Although I haven't used it in a while, the "competitor" Alfred + Powerpack had something similar, the command was "lock" as far as I can remember.

• BetterTouchTool: recommended by other users (I've seen this app in friend's Macs but never used it myself). It will also do what you want (shortcut to go to the Login Screen). It's been also recommended in the answers you linked. I add it here for reference and because someone mentioned it in the comments by @Steven Fischer

• Using pure Scripting like the one used here. Note however, that most of the scripts that you will find, will make you write and hardcode the account's password, which is not a good idea. But if you check there, there's an alternative that doesn't do that. I haven't tested that myself, but if that script works, assigning it to a keyboard shortcut via Automator/Service ought to be a simple task. This Super User answer better explains the process (thanks @andy)

In any case, there's no built in method by default, but as you can see, with some digging and/or third party, you can do it. Using something like Launchbar or Alfred is a good idea for other reasons anyway ;)

Answer 2

Control+Shift+Eject

or

Control+Shift+power-button

The latter doesn't seem to work in Mac OS X 10.11(.6), but the former still works.

To guarantee that the login window is shown immediately after entering one of the above shortcuts, make sure to change the relevant security setting to require a password (i.e. require logging-in) immediately "after sleep or screen saver begins":

1. Enter ⌘+space to open Spotlight search.
2. Type "security" and hit Enter when "security & Privacy" is suggested; the "Security & Privacy" settings should be shown.
3. Ensure you're on the "General" page.
4. Change the "Require password ..." setting to "immediately".

Source for info about the password security setting:

• How to lock your Mac like you did on your PC - fixedByVonnie

Answer 3

If you have the Alfred Powerpack, you could assign a shortcut to the Lock command (which logs out to the fast user switching screen):

Another option would be to save a shell script like this to ~/Library/Scripts/ and assign it a shortcut using FastScripts:

#!/bin/sh

/System/Library/CoreServices/Menu\ Extras/User.menu/Contents/Resources/CGSession -suspend

Answer 4

There is a fairly convenient, fully native way to do it, with only a small amount of setup. It's not a single keyboard shortcut, but it is a keyboard shortcut.

Summary:

Put fast user switching into the menu bar, then enable a keyboard shortcut to focus it.

Steps:

1. Go to the Users & Groups pane in System Preferences, then to the Login Options section. Choose to show the fast user switching menu (in any form).

2. Cmd-drag that new menu item as far left as possible. (This makes it the first to be selected by the keyboard shortcut, but really it can be placed anywhere.)

3. Go to the Keyboard pane in System Preferences, then to the Keyboard Shortcuts tab. Continue to the Keyboard & Text Input category, and choose a shortcut for the "Move focus to status menus" item.

Result:

If you followed step 2, then pressing your keyboard shortcut will focus the fast user switching menu. You open the menu by pressing the down arrow, then select a choice with either enter or space.

This shortcut lets you directly select a user, so you can choose to bypass the login window or select it from the menu.

I would recommend a shortcut of control + fn + enter, as this puts your fingers on the return key, and hence just above the arrow keys. Plus, I don't know of any other shortcuts it would collide with.

Answer 5

There is a sleep command i Guess so. it's ctrl + shift + eject key. But you have to make sure in "Prefernces>Security & privacy> Reuiquire Password" is checked if you want password after sleep

Answer 6

Not at all a need to go through so many workarounds when simply the following key combination (as rightly mentioned by @daniel answered Feb 1st, 2014) does the needful:

Ctrl + Shift + Eject

However, for some unknown reason, the same didn't work on my friend's Mac Mini. Even then, the following worked smoothly:

• System Preferences
• Security & Privacy
• General
• Require Password immediately after sleep or screen saver begins

After this, either:

Enable Screensaver after some time

or, just like I did:

Set "Start Screen Saver" as one of the screen "Hot Corners"

Now I simply use a Hot Corner before leaving my desk to lock the system.

PS: I guess, @daniel's answer should be marked/ticked as the correct one, as the current answer seems kinda redundant since new, relevant options negate the need for external tools. #JustSaying ;)