Keep your computer awake.
One click, from a tiny window or the tray. Free and open source, for macOS, Windows and Linux.
What it does
- One clickPress the big button, or click the tray icon on macOS and Windows. The icon turns green while it is on.
- Timer15 minutes to 4 hours, no limit, any number of minutes, or until a clock time such as 18:30.
- Two modesKeep the display on, or keep only the system awake and let the screen turn off.
- Keyboard shortcutOptional ⌥⌘K on macOS or Ctrl+Alt+K on Windows and Linux. Switch it on in Settings. On Linux it needs X11.
- Stays out of the wayLives in the tray, starts at login if you want, and tells you when time is up.
- Small and privateA few megabytes, built with Rust. No account, no tracking, and it never changes your power settings.
Install
macOS
With Homebrew:
brew install --cask kingleykin/tap/keepawakeOr download the .dmg (macOS 10.15 or later, Apple Silicon and Intel) and drag KeepAwake into Applications.
The app is not notarized by Apple yet, so macOS stops it the first time. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway, or run this once:
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/KeepAwake.appWindows
Download the installer for Windows 10 or 11 and run it. It installs for your user only and does not need admin rights.
The installer is not code-signed yet. If SmartScreen says “Windows protected your PC”, click More info → Run anyway.
Linux
Download the AppImage for any distro, the .deb for Debian and Ubuntu, or the .rpm for Fedora and openSUSE. All are x86_64.
chmod +x KeepAwake_*_amd64.AppImage
./KeepAwake_*_amd64.AppImagePlain GNOME hides tray icons. Install the AppIndicator extension to see KeepAwake there. Ubuntu ships it already.
Questions
What happens when I close the lid?
On macOS and Windows the laptop goes to sleep as usual, so it does not overheat in a bag. KeepAwake only stops sleep caused by nobody using the computer. When you open the lid, it is still on, and the timer has kept counting.
Does it change my power settings?
No. It holds a request while it is on. When you switch it off or quit, the request is gone. If the app crashes, the system drops the request by itself.
Why does my system warn me the first time?
The builds are not code-signed yet, because signing certificates cost money. The steps under Install are needed only once.
Does it collect any data?
No. It only goes online to check GitHub for a new version, and to download it after you press Install.