How to stop your computer from sleeping: Windows, macOS and ChromeOS

Every major operating system turns the screen off and then sleeps after a period of inactivity. That is sensible for battery life and security, but it is annoying when you are following a long video, watching a build, or reading a document. You have two options: change the system settings, or use a temporary tool that keeps the screen on only while you need it.

Windows 11 and Windows 10

On Windows 11, open Settings → System → Power & battery → Screen, sleep, & hibernate timeouts. You will see separate values for when the screen turns off and when the device goes to sleep, each with an on-battery and a plugged-in setting. Choose Never for the ones you want to disable. On Windows 10 the same options live under Settings → System → Power & sleep.

If you only need the computer to stay awake for a while without touching your saved settings, Microsoft's free PowerToys includes an Awake utility that keeps the PC awake on demand and then lets it return to normal.

Laptops add one more setting: the lid. Under Control Panel → Power Options → Choose what closing the lid does you can decide whether closing the lid sleeps the machine, which matters if you use an external monitor.

macOS

On recent versions of macOS, open System Settings → Lock Screen and change Turn display off on battery when inactive and Turn display off on power adapter when inactive. To stop a Mac from sleeping entirely, open System Settings → Battery (or Energy on desktop Macs) and look for the options that prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off. The exact wording changes between macOS releases, so use the search box in System Settings if you cannot find it.

For a temporary solution, the built-in caffeinate command in Terminal keeps the Mac awake for as long as the command runs. For example, caffeinate -d prevents the display from sleeping until you press Control-C.

ChromeOS

Open Settings → Device → Power and adjust the idle behaviour for when the Chromebook is plugged in and when it runs on battery. You can set the display to stay on while idle instead of dimming and sleeping. Managed school or work Chromebooks may lock these options, in which case an administrator has to change them.

Linux desktops

GNOME and KDE both have a power section in their settings with blank-screen and automatic-suspend timers. On GNOME, Settings → Power lets you set Screen Blank to Never. Minimal window managers usually rely on tools such as xset or systemd-inhibit.

When a browser tool is the better choice

Changing system settings has a hidden cost: people forget to change them back. A laptop that never sleeps will quietly drain its battery in a bag, and a display that never turns off can burn in or waste power. A browser-based tool such as Screen Awake solves this in three ways:

• It is scoped to a tab. Close the tab and normal behaviour returns instantly.
• It works on locked-down computers where you are not allowed to change power settings.
• It includes an auto-off timer, so a session ends on its own.

What none of these methods do

Keeping the screen on does not make you look active in chat or video-call apps. Presence status in Microsoft Teams, Slack, and similar tools is based on activity inside those apps. Using a wake lock to manage the display is fine; trying to fake activity for an employer is a different matter and one we do not recommend or support.

A quick checklist

1. Decide whether you need this for minutes or permanently.
2. For minutes or hours, use a temporary tool with a timer.
3. For permanent changes, edit the power settings and note the old values.
4. Plug in the device if it will be awake for a long time.
5. Turn the setting back when you are done.