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KeepingYouAwake

From public sources

KeepingYouAwake is a free, open-source macOS menu bar app that stops your Mac from sleeping for a set time or until you turn it off.

ApplicationCategory: Desktop Apps · UtilitiesOpen sourcedata checked Oct 15, 2026
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Overview

Macs go to sleep on their own schedule, which interrupts long downloads, presentations, renders and remote sessions. KeepingYouAwake is a small menu bar utility for macOS 10.13 and newer that keeps your Mac awake for a predefined duration or for as long as you keep it activated. The app is a lightweight wrapper around Apple's built-in caffeinate command line tool, which ships with every current version of macOS, so it relies on an official system mechanism rather than custom power hacks. It works on desktop Macs and on portable Macs with the lid open; it does not prevent sleep when a MacBook lid is closed. KeepingYouAwake is distributed under the MIT license and can be installed from the project's releases page or with Homebrew cask. It is aimed at anyone who needs their Mac to stay awake on demand. The project is an open-source successor to the Caffeine utility, rebuilt for newer macOS releases.
  • caffeine
  • macos
  • menubar
  • objective-c
  • utility

Installation

Commands are shown, never run by the marketplace. Check them against the official documentation.

Compatibility

Unknown means no evidence was found — not that the product is incompatible.
PlatformStatusArchitectureEvidenceConfidence
WindowsUnknown———
macOSCompatible—Declared on the card—
LinuxUnknown———

Releases

checked Oct 29, 2026
v1.6.8LatestSep 12, 2025Official source ↗

Files in 1.6.8

The marketplace does not host these files: downloads go to the official source. Files have not been scanned by us.
FilePlatformSizeSHA-256Download from the official source
KeepingYouAwake-1.6.8.zipUnknown4.3 MB8001a149b449…Official source ↗

Release history

Quality profile

algorithm quality-v1.0 · assessed Oct 15, 2026
Quality Score92
Risk Score0
Confidence 1.00
Quality Score and Risk Score are different measures. A high score does not guarantee safety.

Score components

Maintenance · 2016
last activity 61 days ago
Documentation · 1515
README 2852 chars, description present
Ready to use · 1515
install instructions: yes; releases: yes
Metadata · 1010
4/4 of description, homepage, license, topics
Releases · 106
10 release(s), latest 398 days ago
Category confidence · 1010
classifier confidence 1
Adoption · 1010
6984 stars (log-dampened, 10k = max)
License clarity · 55
SPDX MIT
Community · 55
issues enabled, 272 forks

License

MIT
Known licensefrom the repository host

This is the catalog policy status, not legal advice.

Sources

github.com/newmarcel/KeepingYouAwakePrimary★ 6,984 starslast activity Aug 15, 2026Primary repository · Confidence 1.00

Reviews

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README

From newmarcel/KeepingYouAwake · license MIT · fetched Oct 29, 2026

KeepingYouAwake

KeepingYouAwake is a small menu bar utility for macOS (Version 10.13 and newer) that can prevent your Mac from entering sleep mode for a predefined duration or as long as it is activated.

https://keepingyouawake.app/

Installation

Download the latest version here.

or install it via cask: brew install --cask keepingyouawake.

How does it work?

The app is a small wrapper around Apple's caffeinate command line utility. All current versions of macOS ship with this tool by default. You can read the manual page here.

Does it work on a MacBook with a closed lid?

No. Because of (sensible) macOS limitations and out of thermal considerations, KeepingYouAwake will only prevent sleep on desktop Macs and portable Macs with an open lid.

Is this dangerous?

This utility will not harm your Mac because it is based on an official command line tool by Apple. BUT I cannot guarantee anything, so use this tool AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Inspired by Caffeine

KeepingYouAwake is inspired by Caffeine from Lighthead Software. I used it for many years, but sadly it hasn't been updated in a while. Eventually in 2014 I decided to build a replacement for myself that was optimized for macOS Yosemite and used the caffeinate command line tool under the hood.

Still using old macOS versions?

  • Version 1.6.8 is the last release that supports macOS Big Sur and older (11.0, 10.15, 10.14, 10.13)
  • Version 1.6.2 is the last release that supports macOS Sierra (10.12)
  • Version 1.5.2 is the last release that supports macOS Yosemite (10.10) and El Capitan (10.11)

Contribution Guidelines

If you plan to contribute to the project, I recommend taking a look at the Contribution Guidelines. These should cover common questions and will be updated over time.

License

Everything in this project is licensed under the MIT license. Provided image assets are also covered by this license.

Although it's not required please do not redistribute forked versions of the app with the same name and icon. Thanks!

Open the repository ↗