Every keypress is ignored
Letters, numbers, modifiers and shortcuts all stop reaching your apps while the lock is on. Nothing you wipe ends up in a document, a chat box or the Terminal.
Keyboard Lock · Part of Recento Pro
Lock your Mac keyboard to clean it
Wipe the keys without typing a single character. Keyboard Lock ignores every keypress until you click Unlock, and it is free in Recento Pro.
macOS 14 or later · Apple Silicon & Intel
Cleaning a Mac keyboard while the Mac is on is a mess. Every wipe types letters into whatever is open, a stray press sends a half-written message, and brushing the top row turns the volume up and the screen dark. Shutting down just to clean the keys is slow, and you lose your place. What you want is to lock the Mac keyboard to clean it, then carry on.
Keyboard Lock lets you lock the Mac keyboard to clean it in one click. Every key is ignored, including volume, brightness and play keys, while a clear full-screen sign tells you the lock is on. The pointer keeps working, so one click on Unlock gives you the keyboard back. It is one of the tools in Recento Utilities, part of Recento Pro.
What Keyboard Lock does
Media and function keys are blocked too
Volume, brightness, mute and play keys are system keys, not ordinary key presses, and Keyboard Lock catches them as well. Wiping the top row will not blast the speakers or darken the screen.
A full-screen sign you cannot miss
A full-screen overlay reads "Keyboard Locked for Cleaning", so there is never any doubt about whether the keyboard is live. It can dim the display so the locked state is obvious from across the desk.
One click to unlock
The mouse and trackpad keep working while the keys are locked. Click Unlock Keyboard on the overlay, or on the Keyboard Lock page, and you are back to typing.
A safety timer, just in case
A safety auto-unlock gives the keyboard back on its own after 30 seconds, 1, 2 or 5 minutes, so you are never stuck if the pointer cannot reach Unlock. It is set to 2 minutes out of the box, and you can turn it off.
Free, with every feature
Keyboard Lock is included in the free version and in Recento Pro alike. There is nothing to unlock and no time limit on how often you use it.
How it works
- 1Download Recento Pro and open Recento Utilities from the Hub, the app grid.
- 2Choose Keyboard Lock in the sidebar.
- 3The first time, allow Accessibility for Recento Pro when macOS asks, so it can hold back keystrokes.
- 4Click Lock Keyboard for Cleaning. The full-screen sign appears.
- 5Wipe the keyboard. When you are done, click Unlock Keyboard.
Who it's for
- Anyone with a MacBook: clean the built-in keys without shutting the Mac down.
- Parents and pet owners: pause the keyboard while a small child or a cat is near it.
- Shared desks and offices: wipe down a keyboard between people without disturbing open work.
- People who clean often: lock, wipe and unlock in seconds as part of a daily routine.
Free and paid
| Feature | Free version | Recento Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Lock keyboard & trackpad | Included | Included |
Recento Pro costs $9.99 a month after a 2 day free trial (cancel any time) or $99 one time. Keyboard Lock is free either way.
Plans, trial and refund terms are on the Recento Pro pricing section.
Privacy and permissions
- Accessibility: Keyboard Lock needs Accessibility permission to hold back keystrokes while the lock is on. macOS asks once. You can turn it off in System Settings at any time.
- What it does with your keys: keystrokes are discarded while the lock is on. Nothing is recorded, stored or sent anywhere.
- Nothing leaves the Mac. Keyboard Lock has no account and makes no network connection.
Requirements
- macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
- Any Mac: Apple silicon or Intel, laptop or desktop, built-in or external keyboard.
- Accessibility permission for Recento Pro.
- A mouse or trackpad to click Unlock (or the safety auto-unlock).
Questions
How do I lock my MacBook keyboard to clean it?
Open Recento Utilities in Recento Pro, choose Keyboard Lock and click Lock Keyboard for Cleaning. A full-screen sign confirms the lock. Click Unlock Keyboard when you have finished wiping.
Does it block the volume and brightness keys?
Yes. macOS sends media and function keys separately from ordinary key presses, and Keyboard Lock blocks both. Wiping the top row will not change the volume or the brightness.
How do I unlock the keyboard?
The pointer keeps working while the keys are locked, so click Unlock Keyboard on the overlay. If the pointer cannot reach it, the safety auto-unlock gives the keyboard back after the time you set, 2 minutes by default.
Why does Keyboard Lock need Accessibility permission?
macOS only lets an app hold back keystrokes if you allow it under Accessibility. Recento uses that permission to discard keys while the lock is on and does nothing with them.
I allowed Accessibility but the lock was refused. What now?
After an update, macOS can keep an old Accessibility entry that no longer matches the app. In System Settings, Accessibility, turn Recento Pro off and on again (or remove it and add it back), relaunch Recento Pro and lock again. The app tells you this when it happens.
Does it work with an external keyboard?
Yes. The lock applies to keyboard input on the Mac, not to one particular keyboard, so built-in and external keyboards are both ignored while it is on.
Is Keyboard Lock free?
Yes. Keyboard Lock is included in the free version of Recento Pro with every feature. The paid version adds limits and features to other apps in Recento Pro, not to this one.
Clean your keyboard without the chaos
Download Recento Pro, lock the keys and wipe away.
