Keep your MacBook awake with the lid closed

By default a MacBook sleeps the moment you close the lid. Keepresso keeps it awake with the lid shut, so a download finishes, a backup runs, or your machine stays reachable. Two things set it apart: it works on battery with no external display, and it turns the internal screen off when the lid closes, so the panel is not sitting lit face-down inside the closed lid, wasting battery and trapping heat, the way a plain keep-awake tool leaves it.

How to stop your MacBook sleeping when the lid is closed

1. Open Keepresso from the menu bar.
2. Turn on lid-closed (closed-display) mode.
3. Close the lid. Your MacBook keeps running instead of going to sleep.

Turn it off again from the menu when you are done, and your Mac goes back to sleeping normally when the lid is shut.

Why this is different from Apple's closed-display mode

macOS has a built-in way to run with the lid closed, often called clamshell mode, but it comes with strings attached: your Mac has to be plugged into power and connected to an external display (usually a keyboard and mouse too). Take any of those away and it sleeps.

Keepresso removes those requirements:

• Works on battery. No charger needed. Keep the lid closed and keep going, even unplugged.
• No external display. You do not need a monitor, dock, or HDMI cable. Just the app.
• No extra hardware. No keyboard or mouse to trick the Mac into staying on.
• The screen turns off, protected. When the lid closes with no external display attached, Keepresso puts the internal panel to sleep, so it is not sitting lit inside the closed lid. Everything else keeps running. Reopen the lid and the screen wakes on its own.
• Free and open source. No subscription, and you can read exactly what it does.

That is the whole point: you get the "lid closed, keep working" behavior without turning your laptop into a desktop first, and without leaving the screen burning inside a shut lid.

Turning closed-display mode on needs administrator approval, because it flips a macOS system setting on your behalf. Approve the administrator helper a single time and it never asks again; without the helper, macOS asks once per app launch. Turning the mode off flips the setting back.

What you can do with the lid closed

• Let a long download or upload finish while the Mac is in your bag's reach on the desk.
• Keep a build, render, or backup running unattended.
• Stay reachable over SSH or keep a small local server up.
• Slip the Mac aside with the screen off while a task keeps going.

Pair it with a timed session so the Mac keeps running for a set time and then sleeps on its own.

Frequently asked questions

How do I keep my MacBook awake with the lid closed?

Turn on lid-closed mode in Keepresso, then shut the lid. The Mac keeps running with the display off until you turn the mode back off.

Do I need an external monitor or a power cord?

No. Unlike Apple's built-in clamshell mode, Keepresso keeps your Mac awake with the lid closed on battery alone, with no external display and no charger.

Does the screen stay on inside the closed lid?

No, and that is the point. When the lid closes with no external display attached, Keepresso puts the internal screen to sleep so it is not lit face-down inside the lid, draining battery and trapping heat, while everything else keeps running. Open the lid and the screen comes back on its own.

How do I prevent my MacBook Pro from sleeping when the lid is closed?

Same steps on every modern MacBook, Air or Pro: enable lid-closed mode in Keepresso before you close the lid. If it still sleeps, see My Mac still goes to sleep.

Is it really free?

Yes. Keepresso is free and open source, for macOS 14 and newer.