The macOS system is primary designed to provide users with maximum efficiency and this means it will often try to preserve energy as much as it can, so that your battery life is able to last longer. As such, in most cases, when you run’t using your Mac for an extended period of time, especially if it is unplugged from a  power source, then it will usually go to sleep automatically.

However, some Mac users may find this to be an inconvenience at times, because you may not want your Mac to end up going to sleep while in the middle of a presentation or while you are in the middle of downloading a large file, for instance. So, we are going to show you some say tips of how you can stop macOS from sleeping and keep it awake.

However, before we begin we should remind you that if you do have a tendency to be carrying your Mac everywhere, be it to the office, to school, to the library, there’s always a risk of you accidentally damaging it. Luckily, you can prevent this by getting yourself a macbook pro leather sleeve. After all, it’s always better safe than sorry, right?!

#1. Built-in Mac Energy Saver

Your Mac will usually have a variety fo built-in tools that can help you to easily customize how long your device should wait before going to sleep. You can usually adjust these setting by heading to System Preferences > Energy Saver. Once open, you will be greeted with the Battery menu which will help you to control laptop’s behavior while it is running on battery. There is also the Power Adapter tab which allows users to control the laptop’s behavior when it’s plugged in.

Each section should allow you to easily set your display settings to Never, which will keep your Mac from shutting its display off and going to sleep. However, this is not advisable because  if you keep the display always ON, you risk draining your batter life much more quickly and you may find that you need a replacement faster than usual. Moreover, if you have a tendency to connect multiple external devices to your Mac as well, then this could also be another major contributor to battery degradation, especially if you leave your display ON, as well.

As such, when it comes to connecting multiple external devices, you should try to make use of sd to usb adapters instead. They will allow you to connect any external storage devices to your Mac without necessarily draining too much power doing it. And when it comes to the display, instead of disabling the display power saver, you can just extend the amount of time it takes to sleep. For instance, you can extend the time to 15 minutes or even 30 minutes, which should be a reasonable amount of time.

#2. KeepingYouAwake

Another alternative option is to download a third-party software tool like KeepingYouAwake, which is essentially a menu bar app that is designed to help keep your Mac from sleeping. The free tool allows users to choose from multiple preset options or you can add your own custom present and opt to have the new settings  automatically deactivate, if your battery level ends up falling below a certain point.

#3. AntiSleep or Sleep Control Center

This is another useful app that gives users control on whether to allow or prevent their Mac from sleeping under various states or conditions. For instance, in sleep mode, it can turn your display off, but keep the system working. This make sit a useful feature if you are making a presentation or need to connect to an external screen using a thunderbolt 2 to hdmi. Similarly, you can also choose to set a timer from the list of pre-defined settings to configure your device’s sleep mode to your convenience. This means you can activate the tool on specific events, like if you are giving a presentation, connecting an external drive, when your battery is low, etc.

However, the main downside to this tool is that while it is powerful and offers a wide range of pre-defined conditions, it does also come with a rather lengthy menu structure that makes the entire interface feel rather convoluted. So, it may take beginners some time to get used to all the options and figuring out what exactly works best and can suit your personal preferences.

#4. Amphetamine

Similar to AntiSleep, this is a utility tool that can help you keep your Mac awake for an extended period of time or fo specific situations that you can define. To get started, you can right-click the icon and choose a pre-defined period or situation that will ensure that your device stays working until the task gets completed. The tool even offers a wide range of configuration options that you can further customize as per your needs.