Privacy lock

A privacy lock, condena in Spanish, is the mechanism that locks a door from the inside so it cannot be opened from outside, usually with a button, a thumbturn or a push button. It is the typical bathroom lock: you turn the piece and the outside handle no longer opens the door.

On bathroom and bedroom doors, the privacy lock usually has a slot or a release on the outside so the door can be opened in an emergency, for example if a child gets locked in. A coin or a flat tool is enough.

On a front door, an internal privacy lock stops anyone opening it with a key while you are inside, but it can also leave a member of your family locked out if you forget to release it. More under lock installation.