Guide to Preventing Your Mac Laptop from Going to Sleep or Locking the Screen

Many users face the frustration of their Mac laptops going to sleep or locking the screen after a period of inactivity, which can disrupt workflow and cause inconvenience. Fortunately, you can adjust your system settings to keep your Mac awake at all times. This guide will walk you through the steps to prevent sleep mode and automatically locking the screen on your Mac laptop.

How to Prevent Sleep Mode

To keep your Mac laptop awake for extended periods without going to sleep or locking the screen, you can adjust the settings in the System Preferences. Here’s a detailed guide:

Open System Preferences

Start by opening the System Preferences pane:

Click on the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen. Select System Preferences.

Adjust Battery and Power Adapter Settings

Go to either the Battery or Energy Saver settings, depending on your macOS version:

For older macOS versions, click on Battery or Energy Saver. If you're using macOS Big Sur or later, you might see a sidebar with options for Battery and Power Adapter.

Adjust the settings as follows:

For Battery: Set the Turn display off after slider to Never. For Power Adapter: Set the Turn display off after slider to Never. Uncheck the Put hard disks to sleep when possible option. Uncheck the Enable Power Nap option.

Disable Automatic Screen Lock

To prevent your Mac laptop from locking the screen after a period of inactivity, follow these steps:

Open Security Privacy Preferences

Go to the Security Privacy preferences:

In System Preferences, click on Security Privacy.

Adjust Screen Lock Settings

Click on the General tab and make the following adjustments:

Uncheck the Require password... after sleep or screen saver begins option.
If you still want a password lock but at a longer interval, set it to a longer duration.

Additional Tips for Preventing Sleep Mode and Screen Saver Activation

For more control and additional customization, consider the following tips:

Caffeine or Amphetamine Apps

For temporary control over keeping your Mac awake, use third-party apps like Caffeine or Amphetamine. These applications let you prevent sleep mode with a single click and can be set to activate under specific conditions.

Disable Screen Saver

If you also want to prevent the screen saver from activating, go to the Desktop Screen Saver preferences and set the Start after option to Never.

By following these steps, your Mac laptop should remain awake indefinitely, without going to sleep or locking the screen, ensuring your work is uninterrupted.

Keywords: prevent sleep mode, mac laptop, security and privacy