Stop the repeated administrator password prompts

A few Keepresso features flip protected macOS settings on your behalf: closed-display mode (which uses pmset disablesleep), the AWDL pause for gaming and streaming, the thermal safety net's fan boost, high CPU priority for a game, and a scheduled wake. macOS guards those, so without a helper in place it asks for your administrator password the first time you use one after each launch. The administrator helper turns that into a one-time setup, then every privileged switch after is instant and silent.

Install the helper once

1. Click the cup in the menu bar and open Preferences.
2. Under General, find Administrator helper at the top and install it.
3. Approve it under System Settings, Login Items & Extensions (the background-apps section, called Allow in the Background on some macOS versions). macOS asks for your administrator password that one time.

The Welcome screen also offers the helper as a one-time step the first time you launch Keepresso.

What it does, and does not do

• One password, ever. After setup, "Only while brewing" closed-display mode and the AWDL watchdog engage with no prompt, even when a trigger starts a session in the background.
• It survives restarts and updates. The helper service ships inside the app, so an app update replaces it on disk automatically. The only leftover is the pre-update service still running in memory, which Keepresso recognizes by version, retires in the background, and reports in Preferences while it lasts, usually under a minute. No reinstall, no password, no new approval.
• The helper handles specific protected actions: sleep overrides, AWDL, fan control, game CPU priority, scheduled wake, Keyboard Cleaner, DNS flushing, and closed-lid Low Power Mode. A session-scoped sleep override ends with the session; a manual override needs to be switched off separately. The source is public.
• It links the CLI too. On a DMG install the helper creates the /usr/local/bin/keepresso link so the command-line tool just works, and re-heals it after the app moves or updates. It never touches a file it did not create.

After a boot or update, allow automatic helper recovery to finish. Initialization and update hints are neutral; reinstall prompts are reserved for persistent failures. Version 1.27 also uses the helper for closed-lid Low Power Mode and minimum fan speed. These restore the previous power settings and return fan control to macOS when the mode ends.

Remove it any time

Remove it under Preferences → General → Administrator helper. Closed-display mode and AWDL can still ask for administrator approval. Closed-lid Low Power Mode and minimum fan speed require the helper; reinstall it to use those features.

Frequently asked questions

Why did Keepresso ask for my password again after an update?

Older builds could lose the helper's registration after an update or a reboot. Current versions check the helper at launch and repair it themselves, silently and without a password, in the common case. If it does need you, a small window opens front and center with the single step to fix it.

Do I have to install the helper?

No. It is optional. Without it, closed-display mode and the AWDL pause still work; macOS just asks for your administrator password once per app launch.

Is the helper safe?

Review the public helper source and permission guide. The helper runs the protected operations listed above; signing and notarization identify the distributed app but do not guarantee security.

Can automation change the wake schedule through the helper?

Only if you let it. keepresso wake set and the matching MCP tools work only while Allow automation to change the wake schedule is on under Preferences, Automation, and it is off by default. Reading the schedule with keepresso wake status is always allowed. More: let AI agents keep your Mac awake.