How to Disable the macOS ‘Log Out’ Keyboard Shortcut

The Accidental Session End

In macOS, managing multiple user profiles and maintaining system security is typically a smooth process. To help users quickly close their active session and return to the login screen, Apple includes a dedicated “Log Out” command. By default, this action is mapped to a specific, hardcoded keyboard shortcut: Shift + Command + Q. When activated, macOS immediately begins closing all open applications, prompting you to save any unsaved work before logging your user account out of the system.

While this feature is incredibly useful if you share a Mac with family members or coworkers and need to quickly secure your profile when stepping away, it can be highly disruptive if triggered accidentally. If you are a touch typist using complex keyboard shortcuts in professional software like Adobe Creative Cloud, Xcode, or logic Pro, your fingers might inadvertently strike the Shift + Command + Q combination instead of a similar command. Suddenly, your workflow is interrupted as applications begin force-closing, breaking your concentration and potentially causing data loss if you aren’t quick enough to cancel the action. If you prefer to log out manually via the Apple menu, you should disable this specific keyboard shortcut to prevent accidental session terminations.

How to Turn Off the Log Out Shortcut

You can unbind the Log Out command from your keyboard by creating a conflicting shortcut in the Keyboard Settings menu.

1. Click the Apple Logo in the top-left corner of the screen and select System Settings… (or System Preferences).
2. In the left-hand sidebar, scroll down and click on Keyboard.
3. In the right-hand pane, click the Keyboard Shortcuts… button.
4. In the new window, select App Shortcuts from the left-hand list.
5. Click the + (plus) button to create a new shortcut.
6. Leave the Application dropdown set to All Applications.
7. In the Menu Title field, type exactly: Log Out [Your Username]... (Make sure to include the three dots (ellipsis) at the end, exactly as it appears in your Apple Menu).
8. Click in the Keyboard Shortcut field and press a highly obscure, complex combination that you will never accidentally hit (e.g., Control + Option + Shift + Command + L).
9. Click the Done button to save your changes.

By remapping the command to a virtually impossible-to-hit combination, you effectively disable the default Shift + Command + Q shortcut. Your Mac will immediately ignore the old combination, allowing you to type freely without fear of accidentally logging yourself out.