Keep your Mac awake
Stop your Mac from going to sleep for as long as you choose, with a safety stop for battery and heat.
- Time
- 2 minutes
- Steps
- 8
- Version
- 2.35 or later
What you need
- l/Activity open.
- Custom durations, Add time and Automatic stops arrived in version 2.35. Earlier versions have the preset durations only.
Steps
Step 1. Open Keep Awake
Click Keep Awake in the sidebar under This Mac, or the sun in the menu bar. The page starts in its resting state: "Ready when you are".
Keep AwakeKeep your Mac awake for a while, or until you turn it off.Search or jump to…⌘KOffReady when you areChoose a duration and display option, then turn on Keep Awake.Keep AwakeNext session1 hourStarts when you turn on the switch.DurationKeep awake for1 hourTimed sessions stop automatically. You can turn off any session early.DisplayKeep display awakeYour display will stay on during the session.Automatic stopsStop on battery at10% or belowStop at critical thermal pressureExternal power · battery stop does not apply. Thermal pressure: nominal.Last checked 13 Oct 2026 at 10:42:18Refresh statusStops release Keep Awake; macOS decides when to sleep. Battery and thermal changes are checked while a session runs, even when monitoring is paused. Duration and automatic-stop choices are remembered. Keep Awake starts off each launch.Continues in the background, even when monitoring is paused. Stops when you quit l/Activity.Manual Sleep and closing the lid still work. Your Mac’s sleep and screen-lock settings stay unchanged.Step 01 Step 2. Choose how long
In the Duration card, open Keep awake for. Pick Until turned off, a preset from 15 minutes to 8 hours, or Custom… for anything from one minute to seven days.
Keep AwakeKeep your Mac awake for a while, or until you turn it off.Search or jump to…⌘KOffReady when you areChoose a duration and display option, then turn on Keep Awake.Keep AwakeNext session1 hourStarts when you turn on the switch.DurationKeep awake for1 hourTimed sessions stop automatically. You can turn off any session early.DisplayKeep display awakeYour display will stay on during the session.Automatic stopsStop on battery at10% or belowStop at critical thermal pressureExternal power · battery stop does not apply. Thermal pressure: nominal.Last checked 13 Oct 2026 at 10:42:18Refresh statusStops release Keep Awake; macOS decides when to sleep. Battery and thermal changes are checked while a session runs, even when monitoring is paused. Duration and automatic-stop choices are remembered. Keep Awake starts off each launch.Continues in the background, even when monitoring is paused. Stops when you quit l/Activity.Manual Sleep and closing the lid still work. Your Mac’s sleep and screen-lock settings stay unchanged.Step 02 Step 3. Set a custom length, if you need one
Custom… opens a small sheet with days, hours and minutes. Fill it in and click Use duration.
Keep AwakeKeep your Mac awake for a while, or until you turn it off.Search or jump to…⌘KOffReady when you areChoose a duration and display option, then turn on Keep Awake.Keep AwakeNext session1 hourStarts when you turn on the switch.DurationKeep awake for1 hourTimed sessions stop automatically. You can turn off any session early.DisplayKeep display awakeYour display will stay on during the session.Automatic stopsStop on battery at10% or belowStop at critical thermal pressureExternal power · battery stop does not apply. Thermal pressure: nominal.Last checked 13 Oct 2026 at 10:42:18Refresh statusStops release Keep Awake; macOS decides when to sleep. Battery and thermal changes are checked while a session runs, even when monitoring is paused. Duration and automatic-stop choices are remembered. Keep Awake starts off each launch.Continues in the background, even when monitoring is paused. Stops when you quit l/Activity.Manual Sleep and closing the lid still work. Your Mac’s sleep and screen-lock settings stay unchanged.Custom duration
Days0Hours3Minutes30Choose between 1 minute and 7 days. Hours: 0–23. Minutes: 0–59.CancelUse durationStep 03 Step 4. Decide what the screen does
With Keep display awake on, the screen stays lit. Turn it off and the Mac keeps working while the display is allowed to sleep. That is the choice for a long download or a backup overnight.
Keep AwakeKeep your Mac awake for a while, or until you turn it off.Search or jump to…⌘KOffReady when you areChoose a duration and display option, then turn on Keep Awake.Keep AwakeNext session1 hourStarts when you turn on the switch.DurationKeep awake for1 hourTimed sessions stop automatically. You can turn off any session early.DisplayKeep display awakeYour display will stay on during the session.Automatic stopsStop on battery at10% or belowStop at critical thermal pressureExternal power · battery stop does not apply. Thermal pressure: nominal.Last checked 13 Oct 2026 at 10:42:18Refresh statusStops release Keep Awake; macOS decides when to sleep. Battery and thermal changes are checked while a session runs, even when monitoring is paused. Duration and automatic-stop choices are remembered. Keep Awake starts off each launch.Continues in the background, even when monitoring is paused. Stops when you quit l/Activity.Manual Sleep and closing the lid still work. Your Mac’s sleep and screen-lock settings stay unchanged.Step 04 Step 5. Set the safety stops
In Automatic stops, Stop on battery at ends the session when a MacBook on battery drops to the level you pick. Stop at critical thermal pressure ends it if the Mac gets too hot. Both exist so a forgotten session cannot drain or cook a laptop in a bag.
Keep AwakeKeep your Mac awake for a while, or until you turn it off.Search or jump to…⌘KOffReady when you areChoose a duration and display option, then turn on Keep Awake.Keep AwakeNext session1 hourStarts when you turn on the switch.DurationKeep awake for1 hourTimed sessions stop automatically. You can turn off any session early.DisplayKeep display awakeYour display will stay on during the session.Automatic stopsStop on battery at10% or belowStop at critical thermal pressureExternal power · battery stop does not apply. Thermal pressure: nominal.Last checked 13 Oct 2026 at 10:42:18Refresh statusStops release Keep Awake; macOS decides when to sleep. Battery and thermal changes are checked while a session runs, even when monitoring is paused. Duration and automatic-stop choices are remembered. Keep Awake starts off each launch.Continues in the background, even when monitoring is paused. Stops when you quit l/Activity.Manual Sleep and closing the lid still work. Your Mac’s sleep and screen-lock settings stay unchanged.Step 05 Step 6. Turn it on
Switch on Keep Awake. The stage changes to "Staying awake" and shows when the session ends. The sidebar row and the bottom edge of the window show the end time too, so you can see it from any page.
Keep AwakeKeep your Mac awake for a while, or until you turn it off.Search or jump to…⌘KSession activeStaying awakeYour Mac and display stay awake.Keep AwakeSession ends11:4213 Oct 2026Add time15 min1 hourDurationKeep awake for1 hourChoosing a different duration restarts the session from now.DisplayKeep display awakeYour display stays on with your Mac.Changing this won’t restart the session.Automatic stopsStop on battery at10% or belowStop at critical thermal pressureExternal power · battery stop does not apply. Thermal pressure: nominal.Last checked 13 Oct 2026 at 10:42:18Stops release Keep Awake; macOS decides when to sleep. Battery and thermal changes are checked while a session runs, even when monitoring is paused. Duration and automatic-stop choices are remembered. Keep Awake starts off each launch.Continues in the background, even when monitoring is paused. Stops when you quit l/Activity.Manual Sleep and closing the lid still work. Your Mac’s sleep and screen-lock settings stay unchanged.Step 06 Step 7. Need a little longer?
While a timed session runs, Add time offers 15 min and 1 hour. The end time moves. The session does not restart.
Keep AwakeKeep your Mac awake for a while, or until you turn it off.Search or jump to…⌘KSession activeStaying awakeYour Mac and display stay awake.Keep AwakeSession ends11:4213 Oct 2026Add time15 min1 hourDurationKeep awake for1 hourChoosing a different duration restarts the session from now.DisplayKeep display awakeYour display stays on with your Mac.Changing this won’t restart the session.Automatic stopsStop on battery at10% or belowStop at critical thermal pressureExternal power · battery stop does not apply. Thermal pressure: nominal.Last checked 13 Oct 2026 at 10:42:18Stops release Keep Awake; macOS decides when to sleep. Battery and thermal changes are checked while a session runs, even when monitoring is paused. Duration and automatic-stop choices are remembered. Keep Awake starts off each launch.Continues in the background, even when monitoring is paused. Stops when you quit l/Activity.Manual Sleep and closing the lid still work. Your Mac’s sleep and screen-lock settings stay unchanged.Step 07 Step 8. Do the same from the menu bar
The sun in the menu bar opens the popup on its Keep Awake tab. The switch, the duration and Add time are all there, so you never have to open the window.
Step 08
02Good to know
The small print, in plain words
Note1 / 3
It tells you why it stopped
When a session ends, the page says which rule ended it: the timer, the battery level or thermal pressure.
Note2 / 3
It never starts by itself
Keep Awake is off every time l/Activity opens, and it ends when you quit the app. Your choices for duration and stops are remembered.
Note3 / 3
It does not change your Mac
Your sleep and screen-lock settings stay as they are. Choosing Sleep from the Apple menu, or closing the lid, still puts the Mac to sleep.
03Keep going
