what to know
- System Settings > Lock screen > Turn off display on power adapter during inactivity > Never .
- Then, go to Battery > Options . Turn on to prevent the power adapter from automatically sleeping when the monitor is turned off .
- Install Amphetamine to keep your MacBook awake with the lid closed, no need to connect a monitor.
This article explains how to prevent your MacBook from going to sleep when the lid is closed.
You need to change some settings to stop your MacBook from going to sleep when the lid is closed.
Click System Settings or System Preferences from the Apple menu in the upper left corner.
Click Lock screen and select the menu next to Turn off display on power adapter during inactivity . Choose never .
If you don't see that option, go to Battery > Power Adapter , then select the slider and move it to Never .
Click Battery from the menu and select Options . Turn on the switch next to "Prevent the power adapter from automatically sleeping when the monitor is off."
In some versions of macOS, this option is in the Power Adapter menu and is called Prevent the computer from automatically sleeping when the display is off .
Plug your MacBook into a power source.
If necessary, use an adapter to connect your MacBook to an external monitor.
Now you can shut down your MacBook without turning off the external monitor. Note that the MacBook's own display turns off, but the external monitor does not.
If you want to use your MacBook permanently in this configuration, you can use the Mac Sleep Scheduler to let it sleep at night and wake up automatically in the morning.
When you close the lid, your MacBook goes to sleep for a number of reasons, depending on whether it's plugged in or not. When plugged in, your MacBook goes to sleep to help save energy and allow it to charge faster because it uses much less power while sleeping. When running on battery power, it goes to sleep when you close the lid to save battery power. Since you typically don't need to use your MacBook with the lid closed, the default setting is that whenever the lid is closed, the display turns off and the MacBook goes to sleep.
The most common reason for wanting to keep your MacBook from sleeping when you close the lid is if you want to use it with an external monitor and keyboard. Apple makes this pretty easy if you follow the instructions provided in the previous section.
Apple only gives you one way to prevent your MacBook from going to sleep with the lid closed: adjust power-saving settings, connect a battery charger, and plug in an external monitor.
Without an external monitor plugged in, none of the options in the battery or power-saving settings allow the MacBook to stay awake with the lid closed. This means you have to install a third-party app, such as Amphetamine, to keep you awake. MacBook goes to sleep without external monitor plugged in.
Select System Settings > Battery > Options . Turn on to prevent the power adapter from automatically sleeping when the monitor is turned off . Also, go to System Settings > Lock Screen > Turn off display on power adapter during inactivity and select Never to prevent your Mac from going to sleep.
If you don't want your MacBook to go into sleep mode after a certain amount of time on battery power, turn off this setting. Go to System Settings > Lock Screen and select the menu next to "Turn off display on battery during inactivity" ; change it to Never .
Make sure the setting to turn off the display is active. Go to System Settings > Lock Screen and review these settings. Also, in the Battery menu, select Options and disable the "Prevent automatic sleep" switch. Also, check the Bluetooth wake settings: Bluetooth > Advanced > Uncheck "Allow Bluetooth devices to wake this computer."
