Close the lid.
Keep it running.
A menu bar switch that keeps your Mac awake with the lid shut.
Free · macOS 14 or later · Apple silicon and Intel
One click in the menu bar.
Flip the switch. Pick when it lets go. Try it here.
Shut, it goes quiet.
Closing the lid saves power. Opening it undoes only what NoSleep changed.
| Setting | Lid closes | Lid opens |
|---|---|---|
| Off | On | |
| Muted | Unmuted, if NoSleep muted it | |
| On | Off, if NoSleep turned it on | |
| Keeps running | Keeps running |
The built-in mic is off while the lid is shut. Record with AirPods or an external mic.
It won’t leave your Mac awake in a bag.
Every way out puts sleep back.
- Lid shut at the end
- Sleeps straight away.
- Battery
- Low Power Mode below 40%. Stops at 20%, or the level you set.
- Heat
- Low Power Mode when hot. Stops when critical.
- Quit
- Sleep back on.
- Crash or force quit
- A backstop puts sleep back within a minute.
Questions.
Can a MacBook stay awake with the lid closed without an external display?
Yes. NoSleep switches macOS's own sleep setting (pmset disablesleep), so a MacBook keeps running with the lid shut: no external display, keyboard or power adapter needed. Downloads, renders, builds and AI agents carry on.
Is it safe to keep a closed MacBook awake?
NoSleep turns on Low Power Mode below 40% battery and when the Mac runs hot, stops at 20% battery (or a level you pick), and puts sleep back when you quit. If it crashes, a backstop restores sleep within a minute, so it is never left awake in a bag.
Is NoSleep free?
Yes, free, with the source on GitHub. It updates itself in one click.
Which Macs does NoSleep work on?
Any Mac on macOS 14 Sonoma or later, Apple silicon or Intel.
Why does NoSleep ask for my password?
Once, the first time you switch it on, to allow exactly the power commands it uses and nothing else. After that it never asks again.
How do I install NoSleep?
Download NoSleep.dmg and drag it to Applications, or run brew install --cask intuito-studio/tap/nosleep after tapping intuito-studio/tap, or the one-line installer on the page.
Get NoSleep.
Free, for macOS 14 or later. Updates in one click.
Not notarised: on first launch, click Open Anyway in System Settings → Privacy & Security. The two lines below skip this.
One line
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/intuito-studio/nosleep/main/install.sh | bashHomebrew
brew tap intuito-studio/tapbrew trust --cask intuito-studio/tap/nosleepbrew install --cask intuito-studio/tap/nosleep