VS Code Extensions
Lock Toggle

Lock Toggle

by ZeeshanMoazzam

Lightweight VS Code extension for instantly locking the editor in read-only mode. Toggle the lock from the status bar or Command Palette, with a yellow indicator showing when editing is disabled.

Downloads

145

Rating

4.0 / 5 (1)

Version

0.0.1

Last updated

Apr 09, 2026

Stop accidentally editing files you shouldn't touch.

Lock adds a one-click lock icon to your VS Code status bar. Click it to instantly freeze your editor into read-only mode. Click again to unlock. That's it.

The Problem

You open a config file, a .env, a production schema — just to read it. Five minutes later you've accidentally changed something and don't even know it. VS Code has no quick way to prevent this.

The Solution

Status bar showing unlocked and locked states

Lock puts a lock icon in the bottom-right corner of your editor. One click locks the entire editor into read-only mode — highlighted in yellow so you always know the state you're in.

Features

  • One-click toggle — lock and unlock from the status bar
  • Visual indicator — status bar turns yellow when locked, so you never forget
  • Zero config — works immediately after install, no settings to configure
  • Lightweight — runs silently in the background, zero performance impact

How to Use

  1. Install Lock from the VS Code Marketplace
  2. Look for the unlock icon 🔓 in the bottom-right status bar
  3. Click it to lock — the bar turns yellow and shows 🔒 Locked
  4. Click again to unlock

You can also run the command manually:

Ctrl+Shift+P → Lock: Toggle Read-Only Mode

Install

From the Marketplace: Search Lock in the VS Code Extensions sidebar (Ctrl+Shift+X) and click Install.

From .vsix (manual):

code --install-extension lock-0.0.1.vsix

Requirements

  • VS Code 1.75.0 or newer

Inspiration

This extension is highly inspired by IntelliJ IDEA.

When I switched to IntelliJ IDEA for a new project, I discovered its built-in read-only lock button — a small icon sitting quietly in the status bar that lets you freeze the entire editor with one click. It felt obvious, useful, and something I reached for constantly.

Then I went back to VS Code and realized: it doesn't have this.

There's no quick toggle, no status bar button, no visual indicator. If you want read-only mode in VS Code, you're digging through settings or relying on OS-level file permissions. That's too much friction for something so simple.

So I built Lock — bringing that one feature from IntelliJ IDEA that VS Code was missing.

Why "Lock"?

Simple name, simple purpose — one click to lock your editor.

Contributing

Found a bug or have an idea? Open an issue on GitHub.

Pull requests are welcome.

License

MIT — free to use, modify, and distribute.