Miya Pearson
If you want to lock your Mac without putting it to sleep, there are several methods you can try. One way is to use the Keychain Access application: launch the app, choose Show Status in Menu Bar from the View menu, and then you can use the lock in the menu bar to lock your screen. Another method is to use the keyboard shortcut Control-Shift-Eject or Control-Command-Q. Additionally, you can try downloading third-party apps such as Caffeine or Amphetamine to keep your Mac awake, and then use the lock screen function. If you want to prevent your Mac from sleeping automatically when the display is off, you can go to System Preferences > Energy Saver and check the box for Prevent computer from sleeping automatically when the display is off.
Characteristics and Values Table
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Locking the screen without putting it to sleep | Control-Shift-Eject, or set a hot corner to bring up the screen saver |
| Locking the screen with the monitor staying on | CMD+ALT+Power |
| Preventing the Mac from sleeping automatically when the display is off | Check the box for "Prevent computer from sleeping automatically when the display is off" in System Preferences > Energy Saver |
| Keeping the Mac awake overnight | Use an app like Caffeine or Amphetamine |
| Disabling sleep | sudo pmset -a disablesleep 1 (but this will prevent the Mac from sleeping even on battery power) |
| Keeping the Mac awake while streaming media | Use a different browser, or try streaming from a different website |
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What You'll Learn
- Locking a Mac without sleep mode using the Keychain Access app
- Using the Control, Shift, and Eject keyboard shortcut to lock a Mac without sleep
- Disabling sleep mode on a Mac with the pmset command
- Using the Lock Screen feature in the Apple Menu on macOS High Sierra
- Keeping a Mac awake with third-party apps like Caffeine, Amphetamine, or Sleep Display
Locking a Mac without sleep mode using the Keychain Access app
To lock your Mac without sending it into sleep mode, you can use the Keychain Access app. This app contains your login/default keychain, which includes all your stored passwords and is automatically unlocked when you log in or enter your keychain password.
To use the Keychain Access app to lock your screen without sending your Mac to sleep, first, open the app. If the keychains are not visible in the left column, choose 'View', then 'Show Keychains'. Then, select the 'login' keychain in the Keychain list and right-click. From the menu, select 'Change Settings' for Keychain 'login', and enable 'Lock after XX minutes of activity'. Five minutes is a good balance between security and comfort. Alternatively, you can click on the lock icon at the top of the window to lock the keychain.
Additionally, if you have an external keyboard without an eject key, you can check the 'Show Keychain status in the menu bar' option in the Keychain Access app's Preferences. This will allow you to lock your screen by clicking the lock icon in the menu bar.
Note that there are other methods to prevent your Mac from going to sleep. One method is to go to 'System Preferences' > 'Energy Saver' and check the box for "Prevent the computer from sleeping automatically when the display is off". However, this method may not work for all operating systems. Another method is to use the free app Amphetamine and select the option 'Indefinitely' after installation.
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Using the Control, Shift, and Eject keyboard shortcut to lock a Mac without sleep
Locking your Mac screen without putting it to sleep can be done in several ways. One of the quickest methods is to use the Control, Shift, and Eject keyboard shortcut.
To use this shortcut, simply press and hold the Control and Shift keys on your keyboard, and then press the Eject key. This will immediately lock your Mac screen without putting it to sleep. This shortcut is useful when you need to step away from your Mac but want to keep your work or downloads running in the background.
It's important to note that this shortcut assumes you have a physical Eject key on your keyboard. If you're using a newer Mac keyboard or a laptop model without a dedicated Eject key, you can try an alternative method, such as using the "Keychain Access" application.
First, launch the "Keychain Access" application, which can be found in the Utilities folder within the Applications folder. Once open, go to the View menu and select "Show Status in Menu Bar". This will add a lock icon to your menu bar. Clicking this lock icon will allow you to lock your screen without putting your Mac to sleep.
Additionally, you can explore third-party applications like Amphetamine, Caffeine, or BetterTouchTool, which offer features to keep your Mac awake and locked. These apps provide customizable settings to control your Mac's behaviour, ensuring it stays awake and active even when the display is off or locked.
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Disabling sleep mode on a Mac with the pmset command
To disable sleep mode, open the Terminal application and enter the following command: "sudo pmset disablesleep 1". This command tells the system to disable sleep mode and prevents the Mac from going to sleep. The number "1" at the end of the command is a flag that specifies that the sleep setting should be disabled.
It is important to note that disabling sleep mode can have negative consequences. For example, it may impact your Mac's battery life as the system will remain active and consume power even when not in use. Additionally, it can prevent your Mac from asking for a password when it goes to sleep, which could be a security risk if your computer is accessed by others.
To re-enable sleep mode, use the command "sudo pmset disablesleep 0". This will restore the sleep functionality of your Mac.
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Using the Lock Screen feature in the Apple Menu on macOS High Sierra
With macOS High Sierra, Apple introduced an official Lock Screen feature, making it easier to lock your screen. Here's how you can use the Lock Screen feature in the Apple Menu on macOS High Sierra:
Using the Apple Menu
- Click on the Apple logo () in the top-left corner of your screen.
- From the Apple Menu, select "Lock Screen". This will instantly lock your Mac screen and display a login screen. It won't start the screensaver or log out of the active account, and any running applications will continue to run.
Using the Keyboard Shortcut
Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut "Control-Command-Q" to activate the lock screen. This is useful if you need quick access to lock your screen.
Customizing the Lock Screen
To further customize your Lock Screen, you can set up a Hot Corner on your screen. This allows you to put your display to sleep and lock your screen by moving your cursor to a specific corner of your screen. Here's how to set it up:
- Launch System Preferences and select "Desktop and Screen Saver".
- Select one of the four corners of your screen (e.g., the lower right corner) to act as the "Hot Corner".
- Choose "Put Display to Sleep" as the action when the cursor enters that corner.
Now, whenever you move your cursor to the selected corner, your display will go to sleep and lock. Any movement of the mouse or a keypress on the keyboard will bring up the login screen, requiring a password to unlock.
Removing the Lock Screen Option
If you want to remove the Lock Screen option from the Apple Menu, you can do so by editing the objects.xib file. Here's a simplified version of the process:
- Open the objects.xib file in a text editor.
- Search for "Lock Screen" and remove the block of code associated with it, including the id tag "311".
- Save and close the file.
- Rename the original file and replace it with the modified version.
- Fix the file ownership to match the original file.
Please note that editing system files can be risky, and incorrect modifications can cause issues with your Mac. Always back up your data and proceed with caution when making such changes.
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Keeping a Mac awake with third-party apps like Caffeine, Amphetamine, or Sleep Display
There are several third-party apps that can keep your Mac awake without putting it to sleep. Here are some of the popular ones:
Caffeine
Caffeine is a simple yet powerful utility that can prevent your Mac from automatically going to sleep. It puts a coffee cup icon in the right side of your menu bar. Clicking the cup toggles whether Caffeine is active or not—a full cup indicates that Caffeine is active and will prevent your Mac from sleeping, while an empty cup means your Mac will sleep normally. You can also right-click the icon to access the preferences window and set a timeout if needed. Caffeine also offers options to configure, such as starting automatically every time your Mac starts up and setting a default duration.
Amphetamine
Amphetamine is another popular app that can keep your Mac awake through a simple on/off switch or automatically through configurable triggers. It offers advanced features, such as locking your Mac's screen after a period of inactivity, keeping your drive awake, and allowing your display to sleep while your Mac stays awake. Amphetamine also supports AppleScript, custom menu bar icons, and notification sounds. It requires macOS 10.13 or later.
Wimoweh
Wimoweh is a tool that can automatically keep your Mac awake when user-selectable processes are running. It allows you to control display sleeping, set a timer, or keep the system awake permanently.
Energy Saver Settings
While not a third-party app, the Energy Saver settings in macOS offer some options to control when your Mac goes to sleep. You can prevent your computer from sleeping automatically when the display is off or when it's on battery power. Additionally, you can configure settings like "Turn display off on battery when inactive" and "Turn display off on power adapter when inactive" to manage your Mac's sleep behaviour.
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Frequently asked questions
You can lock your Mac screen by pressing Control-Command-Q. To enable this, first go to the Apple menu, then System Preferences, and then click on "Keychain Access" in the Utilities folder. From the View menu, select "Show Status in Menu Bar". This will show a lock in your Menu Bar with an option to "Lock Screen".
Yes, you can also use the keyboard shortcut Control-Shift-Eject or set a hot corner to bring up the screensaver. Another option is to use a third-party app such as Caffeine or Amphetamine to keep your Mac awake and locked.
To prevent your Mac from going to sleep while streaming media, you can try using a different browser or installing an app called Sleep Display. This app allows you to activate the "SleepAndLockScreen.scpt" script instead of the default "LockScreen.scpt" script.
To prevent your Mac from going to sleep while downloading or syncing files, you can change your Energy Saver settings to "never sleep". Alternatively, you can use a free app called Wimoweh, which keeps your Mac awake when user-selectable processes are running and allows you to control whether the display sleeps or stays awake.
