Big Sur freezes after screen unlock

I'm experiencing the same thing on a 2018 iMac Pro. After entering my password to unlock my Mac, the screen freezes and my only option (after waiting over 5 minutes) is to power off and reboot. This has occurred multiple times since upgrading to Big Sur.

@arthurfromriga, I'm curious to know, are you using a Yubikey on your MacBook Pro? One hypothesis I have is that the issue is related to my Yubikey (which I use as a Smartcard and for two-factor authentication).

I am also having this issue. I am using a Smart / PIV card to unlock. After entering my pin, it just freezes, as mentioned, and I'm stuck with a hard reboot.

I have this same issue. @vready I believe you're correct about this being related to a Yubikey. I have a 2020 MacBook Pro 13" and am using the Yubikey 5 NFC. It doesn't seem to matter which applications are open. Usually I have Chrome running in the background. I get to the login screen after being away from the computer and when I enter my pin, the screen freezes. I end up needing to do a hard reboot to get the MacBook to respond again. I've been testing and it seems that when I leave the YubiKey unplugged and only plug it in to authenticate, things work as they're supposed to.

I am also having the similar issue, without any Yubikey. Any ideas on how to fix this annoying issue.

It happen to me too and I don't use any Yubikey. I'm using Macbook Pro 16-inch 2019.

It happened to me too multiple times, I have YubiKey plugged in to the computer but not sure if its because of that or any other issues with Big Sur. The only option I am left with restart if this happens which is super annoying.

I have same issue on Macbook pro and iMac after upgrade. I do not use Yubikey and the imac is a fresh install, still have this problem.

The same for me. MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019).

I think, this is because of the discrete video card. Was your computer connected to external display?

I am also having a similar issue... (i'm not using Yubikey)
MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019).

Same issue here (2019 Macbook Pro 16"). I find it happens most after I disconnect my multiple monitors though I'm getting the same exact same thing, progressively more unresponsive system interactions and keyboard only produces system sound.

I’m having this same issue without Yubikey in which hitting any key yields a system notification sound. The only thing that fixes it is a hard reboot. I think there is some warning/notification pop-up somewhere on the desktop associated with an app or service that is preventing users from entering text before acting on or dismissing it. The problem is that this pop-up is, evidently, invisible.

The last time this happened I shut down and the last thing I could see before the screen went dark was an error pop-up that I couldn’t find when it was on. It flashed only for a split second and I couldn’t make out what it was related to.

Just a hunch, but if there’s a way to see all active pop-ups that require input we’d probably find the culprit; I think this is a bug associated with a hidden pop-up.

I have the same issue after upgrading MacPro 2019 to Big Sur . Once for a while, keyboard is locked and can't do anything. Sometimes I can click logout and fix it after relogin but many times I have shut it down. It drove me nuts

I am having exactly the same issue as TheletterJ. I will note I do have an external monitor connected, but do not disconnect or reconnect it. It does go to sleep which probably triggers the same mechanism though.

It looks like if I let the MacBook Pro monitor go back to sleep that the issue is resolved when I log in again (Using Touch ID worked this last time).

Sometimes unplugging my monitor has fixed the issue, but that doesn't seem to work most of the time. (Or something else resolved it)

I have same issue after upgrading MacBook Pro (Retina Late 2013)