This article explains how to prevent your MacBook from going to sleep when you close the lid.
what do you know
- System Preferences > Battery > Power Saver > Power Adapter > Move the slider to Start.
- After adjusting the power saving settings, connect your MacBook to a charger and an external display.
- You'll need to use a third-party app to keep your MacBook awake with the lid closed without a display connected.
Can you stop your MacBook from sleeping when you close the lid?
Yes, although you'll need a third-party app if you're not connecting a display to your MacBook. Now, if you connect a display, keyboard, and mouse to your MacBook, it can function like a desktop Mac. When you're done working, you can disconnect everything, and your Mac will go back to sleep (so it doesn't stay on when you put it in your backpack, etc.).
How to Keep Your MacBook On When It's Shut Down
Default device setting MacBook Sleep mode is when the lid is closed. This feature saves power when your MacBook is plugged in and conserves battery life when it's not. If you want to shut down your MacBook and use it without an external display, you'll encounter a situation where it sleeps instead. We'll cover this in a section below.
You'll need to change some settings to prevent your MacBook from sleeping with the lid closed.
Note: You'll also need to connect a keyboard and a mouse or trackpad to your MacBook if you want to continue using it while it's closed.
- Click Apple icon in the upper left corner.
- Click System Preferences.
- Click Battery.
- Click power adapter.
- Click Slider And move it to Start.
- Click the check box. Prevent your computer from automatically sleeping When the screen is off.
- Connect your MacBook to power.
- Connect your MacBook to an external display using an adapter if necessary.
- You can now shut down your MacBook without turning off the external display.
Note: The display is turned off on the MacBook itself, not just the external display.
Tip: If you want to use your MacBook in this configuration permanently, you can use the Mac sleep scheduler to have it automatically go to sleep at night and wake up in the morning.
Why does my MacBook sleep when I close the lid?
Your MacBook sleeps when you close the lid for several reasons, depending on whether it's plugged in or not. When plugged in, it sleeps to help conserve power and allow it to charge more quickly, as it uses much less power while in sleep mode. When running on battery power, it sleeps when you close the lid to conserve battery power. Since you don't normally need to use your MacBook when the lid is closed, the default setting is to turn off the display and put your MacBook to sleep when you close the lid.
The most common reason you'd want to prevent your MacBook from sleeping when you close the lid is if you'll be using it with an external display and keyboard. Apple makes this reasonably easy if you follow the instructions in the previous section.
Can you keep a MacBook from sleeping with the lid closed without a screen?
Apple offers only one way to prevent your MacBook from sleeping with the lid closed: adjust the power saving settings, connect a battery charger, and connect an external display.
There's no option in Battery or Power Saver settings that allows your MacBook to stay awake with the lid closed if an external display isn't connected. This means you'll need to install a third-party app to prevent your MacBook from going to sleep without an external display connected.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q1: How do I prevent my MacBook from sleeping when plugged in?
Answer: Specify System Preferences > Battery or Power Saver > Power Adapter > Turn off the display afterwardMove the slider to . Start Select Prevent the computer from automatically sleeping when the display is turned off.Prevent your Mac from sleeping.
Q2: How do I prevent my MacBook from sleeping on battery power?
Answer: If you don't want your MacBook to go to sleep after a certain amount of time on battery power, turn this setting off. Go to System Preferences > Battery or Power Saver > Battery > Turn off the display afterward > Move the switch to the right to Start.
Q3: Why doesn't my MacBook sleep when the lid is closed?
Answer: Make sure the setting to turn off the screen is active. Go to System Preferences > Battery or Power Saver > Turn off display afterwardFrom the Power Adapter, disable Wake for Network access if this setting is on. Also check the Bluetooth wake-up settings; go to System Preferences > Bluetooth > Advanced > Uncheck Allow Bluetooth devices to wake this computer.