Unlock/Lock

The Unlock button, when checked (pressed in) disables grouping in your document. This means that you can move, edit or delete individual objects that belong in a group or symbol without having to ungroup that group or symbol (and, more importantly, without having to regroup the components of the group or symbol when you’ve finished editing).

Unlock is a global command that affects your entire document, so when the button is checked your document is said to be “unlocked”: no groups will function at all and symbols will behave as if they have been “exploded” into their component objects. Unlock is powerful because it remembers how all your groups and symbols are structured, even if you’ve edited their components. When you lock your document again all of the group and symbol relationships will be restored, even if the characteristics and positions of component objects have been altered.

Important: remember to uncheck Unlock when you've finished editing.  If you don't, symbols might become disassociated and make your document unmanageable.

Productivity Tips

The Difference between Unlock and Ungroup