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Device guide

Keep your Mac screen awake from a browser tab

Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox can all keep your Mac's display on from a visible tab. In Chrome or Edge, the Mac also does not idle-sleep while the display is held. Closing the lid still sleeps the Mac, unless it runs in clamshell mode with power and an external display.

Sources checked Saturday, 26 September 2026 3 min read By Soubhik Biswas
  • Chrome and Edge 84 or later
  • Safari 16.4 or later
  • Firefox 126 or later
  • Admin rights not needed

Try it

Start a session, switch tabs, then come back and watch the pill.

Ready Suggested · 1 h
Starts when you open this tab
1:00:00

ends at

How AwakeTab knows

    Session complete

    Keeps awake for
    1:00:00
    ends at
    Keeps awake for
    1:00:00
    ends at of 1 hour
    1:00:00
    ends at
    Keeps awake for
    1:00:00
    ends at

    Stopped to save battery

    Keeps this screen on while this tab stays visible.

    Ends Until you stop

    Type any time. A time that has already passed today means tomorrow.

    ends at

    How long?

    ends at

    Share this session

    Waits for a tap to start.Starts keeping the screen awake as it opens.

    Is AwakeTab doing its job?

    Your rating

    Time's up. Keep going?

    Settings

    How AwakeTab behaves. Every change saves as you make it.

    Timer Ask to extendJust stop · · Notifies youNo notification
    When time is up
    End sound Chosen in Customize, with the focus sounds.
    Clock Follow language12-hour24-hour · Seconds shownNo seconds · English
    Clock format
    Language English
    Focus Pomodoro lengths, breathing and your intention
    Device and privacy Battery stop onBattery stop off · Shortcuts onShortcuts off · Usage data onUsage data off
    15%
    AwakeTab stops the session at this level.Turn on the switch above to choose a level.
    Pro Your plan and the devices it covers. See what's in Pro Manage devices
    Reset to defaults

    Every setting here goes back to its default. Your notes, stats and Pro stay.

    What's new

    Version 2026.10.21 · d0ae7ca

    Customize

    Make it yours. Every change shows on the clock at once.

    Every face shows the same time and state. Swipe the clock or press C to switch faces.

    Classic

    Retro

    Modern

    Your stats

    This week
    Today
    Streak
    All time

    time awake per day

    Pro keeps 12 weeks of history. See what's in Pro

    One row per day: date, minutes, sessions.

    Keyboard shortcuts

    Shortcuts need a keyboard. Without one, the buttons on screen do the same things.

    Session

    Space
    Start or stop
    1 6
    Presets 15 min–4 h
    0
    Until I stop
    U
    Until a time
    Esc
    Close or stop

    Screen

    F
    Fullscreen
    C
    Next clock face (Shift+C goes back)
    D
    Cycle theme
    M
    Cycle ambient mode
    P
    Floating window

    Tools

    S
    Sounds
    N
    Notes
    T
    Focus timer
    B
    Breathing guide
    I
    What you're working on
    ?
    This overlay

    Press ? or Esc to close. Single-key shortcuts can be turned off in Settings.Single-key shortcuts can be turned off in Settings.

    AwakeTab Pro

    $12 a year

    • More themes, lamps and backgrounds
    • A sound mixer
    • More notes
    • A repeating Pomodoro
    • Message mode
    • 12 weeks of stats

    Keeping the screen awake stays free, with no ads on the awake screen.

    Enter licence key Get Pro

    Clock

    Start a 1-hour session
    On this page
    1. Try it
    2. Set it up
    3. Which setups work
    4. What turns it off
    5. Honest limit
    6. Questions
    7. Related

    Set it up on your Mac

    Four steps. The screenshots are placeholders until real-device captures are recorded.

    1. Step 1: Open AwakeTab in Chrome or Edge and press Start

      Chrome or Edge › awaketab.com

      Safari and Firefox keep the display on too, but Chrome and Edge also stop the Mac idle-sleeping. Wait for the pill to say "Screen awake".

    2. Step 2: Keep the tab visible

      No minimising while it runs

      The window can sit behind another app while part of it stays on screen. Minimise it or switch tabs and the pill changes to "Paused — tab hidden".

    3. Step 3: Check it in Terminal

      Terminal › pmset -g assertions

      Run pmset -g assertions. Look for a PreventUserIdleDisplaySleep or NoDisplaySleep line that names your browser. Hide the tab, run it again, and the line is gone.

    4. Step 4: Optional: change the Mac's own timeout

      Apple menu › System Settings › Lock Screen

      This sets the display-off times for every app, with one for battery and one for the power adapter on a laptop. It stays changed until you set it back.

    Which Mac setups keep the screen on

    Support claims come from browser documentation and automated tests. Real-device results appear in the matrix once recorded. Sources checked 26 September 2026.

    SetupResultWhat to know
    Chrome or Edge 84 or later, tab visible Supported Holds a "no display sleep" power assertion, so the Mac does not idle-sleep either.
    Safari 16.4 or later, tab visible Supported Keeps the display on after one click.
    Firefox 126 or later, tab visible Supported Refuses at 5 % battery or less when unplugged.
    Window partly visible behind another app Supported The lock holds. A window that is completely covered may count as hidden.
    Window minimised or another tab in front Pauses The lock is released until the tab is back in front.
    Low Power Mode on Not yet tested Set in System Settings › Battery, it may shorten display timeouts.
    Lid closed Not supported The Mac sleeps. Clamshell mode with power and an external display is the exception.
    AwakeTab browser extension Supported AwakeTab for Chrome, also for Edge, carries on with the tab hidden or the window minimised.

    What turns the screen off anyway

    If the screen still goes dark, one of these is usually the reason.

    • Closing the lid The Mac sleeps, whatever the tab asked for, unless it is in clamshell mode. Keep a Mac awake with the lid closed
    • A work Mac's lock rules A management profile can lock the screen on its own schedule. That is separate from display sleep, and a tab does not change it. Lock screen versus display sleep
    • A hidden tab A minimised window or a different tab in front lets the display go. Bring the tab back and AwakeTab asks again.

    Questions

    Does the Mac stay awake if the AwakeTab window is behind another app?

    Yes, as long as part of the window is still on screen and the AwakeTab tab is the one showing in it. The browser releases the wake lock when the window is minimised or you switch to a different tab in it, and a window that is completely covered may count as hidden too.

    Will a download or upload keep going while the display is held?

    In Chrome or Edge, yes: the Mac does not idle-sleep while the display is kept on, so network work carries on. It still stops if you close the lid, pause the session or hide the tab.

    Can a work Mac still lock while AwakeTab is running?

    It can. A management profile may set its own screen lock or screen saver rules, and those are separate from display sleep. AwakeTab keeps the display lit; it does not change any rule your organisation sets.

    Do I need admin rights on the Mac?

    No. The tab needs no install and no admin password. Checking it with pmset -g assertions also works from a normal Terminal window without sudo.

    Soubhik Biswas

    Builds AwakeTab. Sources checked Saturday, 26 September 2026. About AwakeTab