Comparisons · The feature set, hardware guidance and consumer settings published in Microsoft Learn, Presence sensing and Presence sensors, and in Microsoft Support, Managing Presence Sensing settings in Windows 11 (read 2026-09-21)

Wake on approach, lock on leave: telling Windows presence sensing from an OEM lookalike

More laptops are sold on waking as you approach and locking as you leave. Behind the same sales line sit two different things: hardware supported by Windows presence sensing, and an OEM's own sensor producing a similar effect. Microsoft states that the second is not supported by Microsoft and does not get inbox features such as per-app privacy settings. This guide was written on 2026-09-21 from two design documents and the consumer support article, and covers how to tell them apart before buying, what the settings let you change, how this differs from face sign-in, and what the documents actually say about privacy.

Published 2026-09-21 · Updated 2026-09-21 · FaultNote editorial policy

Wake on approach, lock on leave: telling Windows presence sensing from an OEM lookalike overview: 1. What the built-in feature set contains, 2. The test is whether the settings are there, 3. The difference from an OEM implementation, 4. Not the same thing as face sign-in, 5. What you can tune afterwards, 6. What this guide does not say — An overview of this guide’s steps and checks, not a screenshot of the app.

Who this guide is for and what to prepare

Anyone weighing a laptop sold on a human presence sensor
Anyone wanting to know whether the machine they own has the supported feature
Anyone uneasy about being watched by the sensor who wants the specifics

What you need

Check whether the product's specification claims Windows presence sensing support or describes an in-house feature
On the machine you have, look under Settings, System, Power & battery, Screen and sleep
Decide whether you also intend to use Windows Hello face sign-in

1. What the built-in feature set contains

Microsoft's design document opens with it: With the release of Windows 11, Microsoft now natively supports the presence sensing feature set in Windows.

The members of that set are named: Presence sensing is a set of features introduced in Windows 11, which includes Lock on Leave, Wake on Approach, and Adaptive Dimming .

The sensing is not one technology. Presence sensors can be based on a variety of technology, including computer vision or radar, so a specification that says only human presence sensor does not tell you how it works.

Availability is split, too: wake on approach and lock on leave are stated to be available on all releases of Windows 11, with other features arriving in future versions.

2. The test is whether the settings are there

Microsoft gives the test in consumer terms: To determine if your PC has a presence sensor, check to see if it has the Presence Sensing settings mentioned below.

The location is specific. Open Settings, System, Power & battery, and select Screen and sleep. Look for two items: Automatically turn off my screen when I leave and Automatically wake up my device when I approach.

If those two are present, Windows recognises a sensor. If they are absent, either there is no sensor or it is an OEM implementation. The page also notes that your PC may not display all of the options, depending on what the device manufacturer enabled and, on a managed device, on your organization.

Before buying, the equivalent is whether the specification claims support for Windows presence sensing. Where it does not say, this site makes no assumption.

3. The difference from an OEM implementation

This is the fork in the road for a buyer. Microsoft's note states: Some OEM devices implement custom sensors which offer similar functionality to presence sensing, however these implementations are not supported by Microsoft and do not benefit from Microsoft inbox features like user app privacy settings.

Similar functionality, not supported by Microsoft, and outside inbox features such as per-app privacy settings. The behaviour can look the same while what you can manage from Windows itself differs.

The table turns that into things to check before buying, keeping the source's statements apart from what they mean for you.

External sensors are covered as well. A human presence sensor integrated into a monitor is supported by the inbox feature, while other external forms such as standalone units are stated not to be fully supported because the form factor and usage type are too varied. When an external sensor is connected it takes priority over the internal one and replaces it.

Scroll horizontally to see the full table →

3. The difference from an OEM implementation
What to check	Windows presence sensing	OEM implementation	What it means for you
Supported by Microsoft	Yes	Stated as not supported by Microsoft	The first-line documentation is the manufacturer's alone
Per-app privacy settings	Available as an inbox feature	Stated not to benefit from them	Whether Windows can govern which apps use the sensor
Where the settings live	Settings, System, Power & battery, Screen and sleep	The manufacturer's utility	Whether another resident application is required
How to tell before buying	The specification claims support for the Windows feature	It is described as the maker's own feature	Where the specification is silent, this site assumes nothing

4. Not the same thing as face sign-in

Presence sensing does not identify you. The design document's terminology table defines a Category I sensor as: Hardware (or an aggregation of hardware signals) that implements facial presence detection; scanning to detect a face and providing a bounding box around the face. Facial presence detection does not involve distinguishing one face from another face, predicting or classifying facial attributes.

Detect that a face is there, return a box around it, and go no further. Category II is defined as people tracking: detecting and tracking individual movements that identify the presence of one or more humans.

So this is a different purpose and a different mechanism from Windows Hello face sign-in, which exists to establish who you are. Detecting that a person approached and deciding which person it is are separate problems.

On privacy, the document is specific: there are requirements to ensure implementations process data locally and no image metadata is transmitted to the sensor stack. It also distinguishes the OS from the hardware: The Windows sensors stack does not leverage any AI models internally in the OS; some third-party presence sensors may make use of AI models. This guide says nothing further about what data is collected; the document points to the Microsoft Privacy Statement for that.

5. What you can tune afterwards

The support article enumerates what the settings change. Both distance and time are yours to set, which is what decides whether the feature is pleasant to live with.

The items are: Consider me gone when I’m this far away, Then, turn off my screen after this amount of time, Lock my device when I leave while an external display is connected, Wake my device when I’m this close, Wake my device when I approach while an external display is connected, and Don't wake my device when I approach while battery saver is on.

App access is governed separately, under Settings, Privacy & security, Presence Sensing. Presence Sensing access and Let apps access Presence Sensing are turned on, then individual apps are allowed. Desktop apps cannot be toggled individually and are handled as a group through Let desktop apps access Presence Sensing.

There is a note for desktops: since the May 2023 update for Windows 11 22H2 and later, wake on approach can be enabled on systems that support the S3 sleep state, but for USB-connected presence sensors to work on those systems you need to enable USB Wake Support, or a similarly named option, in the BIOS.

6. What this guide does not say

It does not say whether a particular product supports the built-in feature. No device was tested here and manufacturer implementations are not tracked.

It gives no detection distance or response time. The hardware guidance sets out requirements, but also states that The range, latency, distance, and power will not be measured by Microsoft. Nothing was measured here either.

It says nothing about what data is collected. The document points to the Microsoft Privacy Statement, which is not reproduced here.

It makes no quantified claim about battery saving or security. The document names keeping the PC more secure, saving battery power and getting back to work more quickly as purposes, without figures.

Limitations and requirements

OEM sensors offering similar functionality are stated to be not supported by Microsoft and not to benefit from inbox features such as per-app privacy settings.
Presence sensing does not identify you. It is not face sign-in.
Microsoft states it does not measure range, latency, distance or power. Nothing was measured for this guide either.
Among external sensors, those integrated into monitors are supported; other forms such as standalone units are stated not to be fully supported.
Everything quoted here was read on 2026-09-21.

Frequently asked questions

How do I tell whether my PC supports it?

Microsoft's test is whether the settings exist. Look under Settings, System, Power & battery, Screen and sleep for the item that turns the screen off when you leave and the one that wakes the device when you approach.

Can an OEM's own presence sensor do the same thing?

Some products behave similarly, but Microsoft states those implementations are not supported by Microsoft and do not benefit from inbox features such as per-app privacy settings. Where and how you manage them differs too.

Is the camera watching my face the whole time?

By the terminology in the design document, a Category I sensor detects that a face is present and provides a bounding box, and does not distinguish one face from another or predict or classify facial attributes. The document also states requirements that implementations process data locally and that no image metadata is transmitted to the sensor stack. For what data is collected, it points to the Microsoft Privacy Statement.

Does this work on a desktop?

The support article states that since the May 2023 update for Windows 11 22H2 and later, wake on approach can be enabled on systems that support the S3 sleep state. For USB-connected sensors on those systems, USB Wake Support, or a similarly named BIOS option, has to be enabled.

Sources and verification date

Sources checked: 2026-09-21. These sources support the specifications, procedures or prices discussed here. Check each source for applicable conditions and current information.

Related practical guides

Comparisons: browse all guides →