Herbie Murray
There are several methods to prevent a Mac from going to sleep, including using third-party apps such as Lungo and OneSwitch, or built-in tools like Terminal. The process varies depending on the macOS version, with the latest versions like Sonoma and Ventura offering different settings. For example, in macOS Ventura, you can only access sleep scheduling through Terminal commands, whereas in macOS Monterey and earlier, you can use System Preferences. Additionally, you can adjust the time it takes for the screen to lock and set the Put hard disk to sleep when possible option to 'Never' or 'On battery only'.
How to use no sleep for Mac
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Operating System | macOS Sonoma, macOS Ventura, macOS Big Sur, macOS Monterey, macOS Catalina, macOS 15.2 |
| Method | Use third-party apps like Lungo, OneSwitch, Endurance, or Terminal commands |
| Time | Set sleep time to 3 hours or Never; can also set to 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 12 hours, or 5/30 minutes |
| Power Settings | Customize battery and power settings in System Settings |
| Sleep Mode | Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off; turn off "Turn display off on battery when inactive" |
| Wake Settings | Enable "Wake for network access" |
| Hard Disk | Put hard disks to sleep when possible |
| Terminal Command | caffeinate -d or caffeinate -t X (where X is the number of seconds) |
| Terminal App | Use pmset commands to schedule sleep, wake, or shutdown |
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What You'll Learn
Using Terminal commands
To prevent your Mac from sleeping, you can use the Terminal application, which can be found in the Utilities folder within the Applications folder. Alternatively, you can use the Spotlight feature by pressing Command+Space and searching for "Terminal".
Once you have opened the Terminal application, you can use various commands to prevent your Mac from sleeping. Here are some of the most commonly used commands:
- Caffeinate -d: This command will keep your Mac awake as long as the Terminal window is open.
- Caffeinate -t X: If you want to keep your Mac awake for a specific duration, you can use this command, where X is the number of seconds you want your Mac to stay awake. For example, caffeinate -t 3600 will keep your Mac awake for one hour (3600 seconds).
- Pmset noidle: This command will prevent your Mac from sleeping as long as pmset is running in a separate Terminal window.
- Sudo pmset sleep 0: This command will enable the "Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off" setting in System Preferences > Displays > Advanced > Energy.
You can also use the following command to schedule your Mac to switch to sleep mode at a specific time:
Sudo pmset repeat sleep MTWRFSU 22:00:00: This command will make your Mac go to sleep every day at 10 PM. You can customise this command by replacing "sleep" with "wake", "shutdown", or "wakeorpoweron", and by adjusting the time and days as needed.
Please note that these commands may not work in all versions of macOS, and there may be other methods or applications that can also prevent your Mac from sleeping.
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Adjusting Lock Screen settings
Adjusting your Mac's Lock Screen settings can help you prevent your device from automatically entering sleep mode. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
Step 1: Access System Settings
Click on the Apple logo located in the upper-left corner of your screen and select 'System Preferences' from the menu. This will open up the System Settings for your Mac.
Step 2: Navigate to Lock Screen
In the System Settings, find and select 'Lock Screen' from the sidebar. This might require you to scroll down, as it may not be immediately visible on the sidebar.
Step 3: Adjust Sleep Settings
Once you're in the Lock Screen settings, you will see options to adjust when your Mac's display turns off due to inactivity.
- Find the line "Turn display off on power adapter when inactive" and click on the drop-down menu next to it. Here, you can choose from various options, typically ranging from 1 minute to 3 hours, or select 'Never' to keep your display always on.
- Repeat the above step for the line "Turn display off on battery when inactive" to set the sleep time when your Mac is running on battery power.
Step 4: Prevent Automatic Sleeping (Optional)
If you want to prevent your Mac from automatically entering sleep mode when the display is off, you can make the following adjustments:
- In the Lock Screen settings, find and enable the "Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off" option.
- Additionally, you can enable "Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off" in the Energy Saver settings, which can be found in the sidebar of System Settings or System Preferences, depending on your macOS version.
Please note that keeping your Mac awake may increase power consumption. Additionally, some options may not be available depending on your specific Mac model and macOS version.
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Using third-party apps
If you want to prevent your Mac from going to sleep, there are several third-party apps available that can help. These include:
- Caffeine: This app sits on the Mac OS X menu bar and prevents your Mac from automatically going to sleep. It helps applications to keep running over long periods of inactivity. You can activate Caffeine for a few minutes, a few hours, or indefinitely, depending on your needs. It's important to note that Caffeine won't prevent your Mac from going to sleep if the lid is closed.
- NoSleep: NoSleep is similar to Caffeine in that it allows applications to run over long periods of inactivity. However, it takes things a step further by completely disabling the sleep feature as long as it's enabled. This means your MacBook won't go into sleep mode even if the lid is closed. NoSleep provides flexibility in keeping your Mac awake for a specific or indeterminate amount of time, and it also offers the option to disable the screensaver. You can download NoSleep from MacUpdate.
- Lungo: Available on Setapp, Lungo prevents your Mac from sleeping or dimming for as long as you want. You can set the wake-up time from 10 minutes to indefinitely. During a seven-day trial, you can access Lungo and over 240 other apps for free.
- OneSwitch: Also available on Setapp, OneSwitch lets you keep your Mac awake for various durations, ranging from 5 minutes to 8 hours.
- Endurance: Endurance is designed to keep your Mac's battery healthy and increase its life by up to 20%. It does this by gradually reducing the brightness of the screen when needed, allowing you to stay uninterrupted while conserving power.
While these third-party apps offer convenient solutions to keep your Mac awake, it's important to note that they may cause increased power consumption. Additionally, some apps may interfere with your Mac's ability to sleep or lock the screen, even when you don't intend for them to run continuously.
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Using a mouse jiggler
Mouse Jiggler is a simple and lightweight freeware app designed to keep your Mac awake by simulating real mouse movements. Unlike other apps that prevent sleep, Mouse Jiggler does not modify system settings, making it more reliable for keeping your Mac awake during extended tasks. It is fully compatible with macOS 11 and newer, including Monterey, Ventura, and Sonoma, and supports Intel and M1/M2/M3 Macs.
To use Mouse Jiggler, simply grant accessibility access, and it will work without any installation or complex configurations. The app operates independently and does not interfere with your apps, system processes, or security rules. It is also designed to be efficient, consuming minimal battery, memory, or CPU resources even when running all day.
With Mouse Jiggler, you can customise its behaviour to suit your needs. You can set it to jiggle only when your machine is idle, ensuring it doesn't fall asleep during periods of inactivity. Alternatively, you can configure it to jiggle only when specific conditions are met, such as when your machine is busy working, when an unburned CD or DVD is inserted, when iTunes is playing, or when a particular application is running.
Mouse Jiggler is particularly useful for tasks that require extended periods of activity, such as long builds, code deployments, or managing multiple dashboards and browser-based tools that auto-logout after a certain period of inactivity. It also comes in handy when you need to keep certain information displaying on your screen, such as when watching videos, monitoring live-updating stats, or downloading files.
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Scheduling sleep mode
To schedule sleep mode on your Mac, follow these steps:
- Open System Preferences: Click on the Apple logo in the upper-left corner of your screen and select System Preferences from the menu. In older macOS versions, this may be labelled as "System Settings".
- Navigate to Energy Saver: In the System Preferences window, locate and click on "Energy Saver" or "Energy Settings." This is where you'll find the sleep and wake settings for your Mac.
- Click on Schedule: In the Energy Saver window, look for the Schedule button located at the bottom right corner. Clicking on it will open up the scheduling options.
- Set Sleep Timer: Check the box marked "Sleep" to enable the sleep timer. You can then specify the time at which you want your Mac to automatically go to sleep.
- Choose Sleep Action: Decide what action you want your Mac to take when the sleep timer is triggered. You can choose between "Sleep," "Shut Down," or "Restart."
- Select Days and Time: Use the drop-down menus to choose the specific days and times for your sleep timer. You can customize the schedule according to your preferences, such as setting different timers for weekdays and weekends.
- Enable Power Nap (Optional): If you want your Mac to perform background tasks while it's asleep, enable the "Power Nap" function. This allows your Mac to check for emails, calendar events, and iCloud updates even when it's in sleep mode.
Additional Sleep Settings:
In addition to scheduling sleep mode, you can also adjust other sleep settings on your Mac:
- Display Sleep: You can set the amount of time it takes for your display to turn off when inactive. This can be adjusted separately for when your Mac is running on battery power or when it's plugged in.
- Wake for Network Access: Enabling this setting allows your Mac to temporarily wake up and perform background tasks, such as updating apps or receiving messages, even while it's in sleep mode.
- Prevent Automatic Sleeping: If you want your Mac to stay awake even when the display is off, you can enable this setting. This is particularly useful if you want to keep your Mac active during long downloads or when running specific applications.
By customizing the sleep settings on your Mac, you can optimize your device's performance, improve battery life, and ensure that it aligns with your usage patterns.
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Frequently asked questions
You can use third-party apps like Lungo and OneSwitch to keep your Mac awake for a few hours. Lungo lets you keep your Mac awake for 1, 2, 4, 8, or 12 hours, while One Switch lets you keep it awake for 5, 30 minutes, 1, 2, 5, or 8 hours.
Go to System Settings > Lock Screen. Find the line "Turn display off on battery when inactive" and set it to "Never".
Go to System Settings > Battery. Scroll down, click Options, and turn on "Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off".
Open the Terminal app and type "caffeinate" followed by Return.
Open Terminal from Applications > Utilities. Type "sudo pmset repeat sleep MT 14:00:00" followed by Return. Enter your password if prompted.
