How to keep your Mac awake
Stop your Mac sleeping without changing your settings.
Last updated October 23, 2026
You can keep a Mac awake by changing its energy settings, but you'll have to remember to change them back. The easier way is a keep-awake app in your menu bar: click once to stay awake, choose how long, and your Mac goes back to normal on its own when the time is up.
Step by step
- 1
Click the pulse in your menu bar
That opens Pulsida.
- 2
Choose how long
Drag the ring around the power button: 30 minutes, 1, 2 or 4 hours, anything up to 8 hours, or until you stop.
- 3
Decide about the screen
Set Display to Stays on if you want to see it, or Can sleep if you only need the Mac working.
- 4
Click the power button
Your Mac stays awake until the time is up.
- Using your Mac's settings
- In System Settings, you can make the screen stay on for longer, or stop your Mac sleeping automatically while it's plugged in. These are permanent changes, though, and they're easy to forget about.
- Using a keep-awake app
- A keep-awake app lets you keep your Mac up for one task, then forget about it. Pulsida adds a timer, control over the screen, and keeps working with the lid closed.
Features that help
Questions and answers
How do I stop my Mac going to sleep for a while?
Open Pulsida from the menu bar, drag the ring to the time you need and click the power button. Your Mac goes back to normal sleep when the time runs out.
Can I keep my Mac awake but let the screen turn off?
Yes. In Pulsida, set Display to Can sleep. The screen turns off while your Mac keeps working.