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This section provides an overview of the various experiences enabled by Windows 11's presence sensing features. Each experience can be enabled independently, however Microsoft encourages the implementation of as many of these features as possible for a given hardware configuration.
Functional overview
Wake on approach: When the user approaches the device, it should recognize the user's intent to initiate use of the device. By the time the user is seated and ready to use the device, it is awake and beginning the authentication process.
Debounce mechanisms
The system has been manually locked, but the user is still present
The state machine tracks if a display on or off event has occurred while a human is detected. If the display has been turned off, which corresponds to lock, then the feature will not wake the system until the display is manually turned back on or user walks away then back. This prevents the system from being immediately woken after manually being put to sleep, such as the user manually locking via the Windows+L keyboard shortcut.
User is repeatedly moving in and out of the wake or lock distance threshold
The OS handles this case, no requirements to arbitrate this in firmware. The state machine will wait at least 15 seconds (5 seconds if the timeout is set to 10 seconds) between human presence-based locks to prevent the system from repeatedly switching between wake and lock states. This does not mean that the device will not be able to wake up immediately following a lock. An example of where this can occur is if the user is rocking back and forth in their chair so they repeatedly and quickly enter/exit the wake/lock detection distance. A single repeated motion switching between wake and lock state will trigger the mechanism.
Note
It is known that Windows Hello face ID is often combined with wake on approach for improved user experience. When testing the features together, it is known that sometimes Windows Hello face sign-in has a debounce timer of 2 minutes that requires user to dismiss login screen.
Exceptions
Before Windows 11 22H2 (May 2023 update)
Devices with HID-based sensors could only wake from Modern Standby, not from the S3 sleep state.
Starting with Windows 11 22H2 (build 22624 or later)
HID-based sensors can now wake the device from lower power states such as S3, provided the device is configured to be armed for wake.
Standby and Hibernate (Windows 11, version 24H2)
A new power-saving feature was introduced to reduce unexpected battery drain. If excessive drain is detected, most wake sources—including presence sensing (Wake on Approach)—are disabled.
- In this restricted mode, the device can only wake from Modern Standby by pressing the power button or opening the lid.
- Wake on Approach will not function in this state.
- If the device frequently enters this mode, review its power behavior and investigate the cause before enabling scenarios that depend on Wake on Approach.
For more details, see Modern Standby Wake Sources.
Holistic experience benchmarks
This section defines what the user should experience when using this feature, regardless of the hardware facilitating the experience.
| Measure | Metric | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Wake latency – average | <1.0 second average | Defined as the time between when the user reaches the distance directly measured (defined below) at 45 cm (18 in), 75 cm (29.5 in), and 120 cm (47.2 in) and the time when the device's screen turns on. Average of the three trials. |
| External monitor metrics | Same as internal | This is subject to change based on experimentation and further user research studies |
Accuracy – User Intent Recognition Framework:
| Measure | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| False Positives | The device wakes, but the user is not actually in front of the device. | <5% |
| False Negatives | The user is in front of the device, but the device does not wake up. | <5% |
Directly measured: The PC placed on a standard desk, 30 inches (76.2 cm) off the floor. The user approaches the desk and chair from >1.2m away. See Figure below. This concept is only used for consistency of measurement.
Example settings
The distance setting for Wake on Approach, the distance drop-down, is only available for distance capable devices.
Note
For distance capable devices that support the lock on leave feature, setting the distance for this feature to a value greater than the distance selected for lock on leave will change the lock on leave setting to match.
Windows 11, version 21H2
Windows 11, version 22H2 and above
OEM Customization
The below articles cover the OEM customization options for this feature.
- AllowWakeCapable
- CapableDistancesInMillimeters
- DefaultInstantWake
- DefaultWakeDetectionDistance
- DefaultAllowWakeWhenExternalDisplayConnected
IT policy and OEM provisioning
- Policy CSP – HumanPresence: force wake behavior with external displays and when Energy Saver is on.
See ForceAllowWakeWhenExternalDisplayConnected and ForceDisableWakeWhenBatterySaverOn. - Unattend: control whether Wake on approach is shown or enabled by default on new images.
See HumanPresenceCSP and Unattend.