KeepingYouAwake

KeepingYouAwake is a small Mac menu-bar utility that prevents idle sleep while activated, for a chosen duration or indefinitely. It wraps Apple's built-in caffeinate utility and is useful during presentations, reading, downloads or other work where you want the Mac to remain awake without continually interacting with it.

Features

• Toggle activation from the menu bar.
• Select preset durations or an indefinite session.
• Configure preferences and optional start-at-login behavior.
• Allow display sleep separately through the supported preference.
• Use advanced battery-level and external-display activation settings.
• Automate activation/deactivation using the documented URL scheme.

Install and operate

Install with brew install --cask keepingyouawake, or download the official ZIP and move KeepingYouAwake.app into Applications. Launch it and use the coffee-cup menu-bar icon to activate or deactivate it. Review the selected duration and icon state before leaving a task unattended. Timed activation ends automatically; deactivate an indefinite session when it is no longer needed.

Start at login controls whether the application launches when you sign in; it is not the same thing as an unconditional forever-awake setting. Review the activation preferences separately. Other power-management utilities can set their own sleep assertions, so turning this app off does not guarantee another utility will stop holding the system awake. The cask lists no additional formula dependency or explicit conflicting cask. caffeinate is included with macOS rather than installed as an extra Homebrew formula.

Sleep limits

KeepingYouAwake prevents idle sleep under macOS's normal power-management rules. The publisher explicitly says it does not keep a MacBook awake with its lid closed: it works on desktop Macs and portable Macs with an open lid. Do not treat external-display activation as a bypass for that limitation or as a substitute for Apple's supported closed-display setup conditions.

Display sleep and idle system sleep are distinct. The supported display-sleep preference can allow the screen to sleep while the system remains awake; this is not a promise to disable screen locking or override every display/system sleep action. It does not override shutdown, explicit sleep, low-battery protection or other OS/hardware conditions. Keeping a Mac awake consumes power, and a configured battery threshold can deactivate the app. Check the power source, remaining battery, ventilation and selected settings for a long session.

The app does not simulate activity in another service or guarantee a remote session, download or meeting remains connected. Network servers and applications can have their own timeouts. Keep normal macOS security and screen-lock settings appropriate for the environment.

Compatibility and permissions

Version 1.6.8 supports macOS 10.13 or later; the current project README identifies it as the last release supporting Big Sur and older systems down to 10.13. This historical compatibility is specific to 1.6.8 and is not a guarantee for later versions. The application is for macOS, not Windows/Linux. The official 1.6.8 archive contains a Universal application executable with x86_64 and arm64 slices, supporting native Intel and Apple Silicon execution. Its Info.plist declares macOS 10.13 as the minimum; Apple Silicon Macs use their architecture-compatible macOS versions.

Normal operation uses the user's session and Apple's caffeinate utility. The project does not document Accessibility, Screen Recording or universal Full Disk Access as prerequisites for ordinary sleep prevention. Optional login/background-item and update settings should be reviewed through the app and macOS controls. No account or cloud service is required to keep the Mac awake.

Cost, license and download

KeepingYouAwake is free, open-source software under the MIT license; the publisher says project image assets are covered by the same license. There is no required purchase, subscription or online account. Included third-party components have their own applicable notices.

Local sleep prevention works offline. Downloads and optional update checks require connectivity; local functionality is not an absolute statement that updates never contact the network. The official 1.6.8 ZIP is 4,510,061 bytes; installed usage differs from ZIP size. Automatic-update components and release compatibility can change over time, so review notes before upgrading on an older Mac.

Sources: Official project and sleep FAQ, Official website, Changelog, Automation documentation.