Use case
Keep the classroom screen on while you teach
AwakeTab keeps the classroom screen on through the lesson, with no install and no admin rights. It keeps the display on while this tab is visible. A school policy that locks the screen still applies, so ask IT about the timeout. Before the lesson, open AwakeTab on the teacher laptop, tap "Until…" and pick when the lesson ends, then leave it on screen as a clock the class can read.
Try it
Start a session, switch tabs, then come back and watch the pill.
On this page
Set it up before the bell
- Open AwakeTab on the teacher laptop.Use Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox. Tap "Until…" and choose the end of the lesson, such as 10:50 AM, or pick 1 h for a one-hour class.
- Choose a face the class can read.Clock mode shows a large time; Standard shows a countdown ring. Optional: in Settings, set the end sound to None and "When time is up" to "Just stop".
- Tap Start.Within a second or two, the pill should read "Screen awake".
What to expect during the lesson
Teacher laptops often turn the display off, or sleep, after a few minutes without a key press. AwakeTab deals with that display timeout, and nothing more. A separate rule that locks the laptop after a set time still runs. Not sure which one is catching you? Read Lock screen versus display sleep.
A projector or board connected as a second display follows your laptop’s display timeout, so it stays lit too. With an extended display, put the clock on the board and your notes on the laptop. Slides in full screen on the same display cover AwakeTab; keep the screen on while presenting covers the floating window and other options.
The pill at the top of the tool tells you what the browser is doing:
- Starting…
- AwakeTab has asked the browser. It takes a second or two.
- Screen awake
- The laptop display, and a board connected to it, stays on through the lesson.
- Paused — tab hidden
- Full-screen slides or another window cover AwakeTab. Uncover it and AwakeTab asks again.
- Blocked — here's the fix
- The browser refused. The card on the teacher device says why, for example that Safari on an iPad still needs one tap.
A clock or countdown the class can see
Clock mode shows the time in large numerals, in 12-hour or 24-hour format. For a timed task, start a 15-minute or custom session in Standard mode: the ring and the minutes left are visible across the room, and a chime marks the end.
School-managed Chromebooks and Windows laptops
On a device your school manages, the administrator’s settings come first. Google’s own Chromebook Help says that at work or school “you might not be able to change your sleep settings” (Google Chromebook Help, checked 26 September 2026).
- A power or lock policy set by an admin wins. A policy that locks the device still locks it.
- The lid still matters. A Chromebook goes to sleep when you shut it, unless someone has switched off “Sleep when cover is closed”. Windows laptops usually sleep on lid close too.
If the timeout is too short for teaching, ask IT whether teacher devices can have a longer display timeout during lessons. That fixes it for every app, not only a browser tab. Keep a Chromebook screen on has the Chromebook settings.
If your school allows extensions, AwakeTab for Chrome keeps the screen on even with the tab hidden behind full-screen slides.
Before the lesson starts
0 of 4 checkedQuestions
Will I still have to type my password in the middle of a lesson?
Not if the prompt comes from the screen timing out: with the display kept on, it never gets there. If your school also locks the laptop after a set time without input, that lock still happens. Only IT can change it.
Can I use it on a school Chromebook?
Yes, in Chrome, while its tab is visible. Your school’s admin settings still decide the rest: a power or lock policy wins, and closing the lid sleeps the Chromebook unless the lid setting has been turned off. If wake locks are switched off, the pill tells you so.
Is anything recorded about my students?
No. AwakeTab has no accounts, no sign-in and no cookies, and it never asks for a name. Settings stay in the browser on your device. Anonymous usage counts are on by default, carry no personal details, and can be turned off in Settings.
Can the class see a countdown for an activity?
Yes. Pick a length such as 15 min and switch to Standard mode for the ring and the minutes left, or stay on Clock for the time of day. When it ends you get a chime, or silence if you set the end sound to None.