Endmost your MacBook volition put it to slumber. All foreground and background apps and services will be temporarily paused until you reopen the lid. If you're playing music, for case, closing your Mac stops the song. Downloading a file or installing an app on your MacBook? macOS volition intermission (or terminate) the activities when you close the lid.

In this guide, we'll walk you lot through 2 methods to proceed your Mac awake when the lid is shut.

There are several reasons why yous may need to do this. Say you want to utilize your Mac as a network server with the lid airtight. Or perhaps, y'all're downloading some files at a coffee shop but don't want to leave your MacBook opened on the table.

You can start the download, tuck the Mac in your bag, and enjoy your java while the download continues in the background. There are other utilise cases, but let's jump to the techniques to prevent your Mac from sleeping when the hat is closed.

The Native Method: Connect Your Mac to an External Brandish

macOS is an intelligent operating organization with obvious and little-known features. For example, the Bone will keep your Mac up and running when it detects an external monitor or projector. This is called the Closed-Brandish Style or Close-Clamshell Mode.

In this mode, your Mac volition stay on, even when the hat is airtight. All you need to do is connect the following devices or peripherals and close your Mac'southward hat:

  1. An external display (monitor or projector)
  2. An external keyboard (wired or wireless)
  3. An external mouse or trackpad (wired or wireless)

You most likely would need a USB hub with compatible ports to become this done, particularly if your Mac has express ports.

One more matter: Yous need to plug your Mac into a power source for this system to work. So, in addition to connecting the above-mentioned peripherals, plug in your Mac'south ability adapter and you're all set.

When these are in place, y'all can access your Mac on the external display with the lid closed.

Notation that some 4K and 5K monitors can ability your Mac while interim as an external brandish. If you take this type of monitor (cheque the instruction manual or visit the manufacturer's website to confirm), you don't need to connect your Mac to the AC ability adapter.

Apple recommends putting your Mac to sleep before disconnecting the external brandish. So, open your Mac's lid, click the Apple logo on the menu bar, and select Sleep. You could also select Shut Downwardly to turn information technology off completely; your choice. Only don't unplug the external display while your Mac is in Closed-Brandish mode.

Method 2: Use a Third-Party App

The native method of keeping your Mac turned on with the lid airtight requires an external brandish, a mouse, and a keyboard. Merely what if you don't have whatever of these peripherals? That's where third-party applications similar Amphetamine come up in.

Information technology's a reliable "keep-awake" utility with several functionalities that help manage your Mac'south display. Yous can use Amphetamine to forestall your Mac from sleeping with the lid opened or closed. It is totally free and available in the macOS App Store.

From our feel, the app is lightweight (doesn't use excessive system resources), has no in-app purchases or ads, and works perfectly. Open the App Store and search for Amphetamine. If you're reading this article on a Mac, visit the Amphetamine details page on the App Store.

Install the app and follow the steps below to learn how to use it to foreclose your Mac from sleeping when the lid is closed.

1. Launch Amphetamine from the Launchpad or Applications binder. You lot should see a pill-shaped icon on your Mac's Condition Menu—the right-side of your Mac's bill of fare bar. Select this icon to admission Amphetamine's menu options.

Amphetamine doesn't accept a front-facing interface, and then the menu bar is where yous fix up everything.

two. On the Amphetamine menu, get to Quick Preferences and uncheck Permit system sleep when display is airtight.

3. A window displaying the features and effects of Amphetamine'due south Airtight-Display mode will popular upwardly on the screen. Read through to understand how to utilize the app. Click OK to proceed.

4. Return to the app'due south menu and choose how long y'all desire to go along your Mac turned on with the lid closed.

  • Indefinitely: Will proceed your Mac on until you manually end the Closed-Lid session.
  • Minutes: You can choose a preset menstruum (between 5 to 55 minutes) within which the app will foreclose your Mac from sleeping.
  • Hours: Amphetamine comes with preset hours: 1-ten hours, 12 hours, or 24 hours. Choose your preferred elapsing and your Mac will go to sleep when the set time frame ends.
  • Other Fourth dimension/Until: Click this option if you desire to fix your preferred duration (in minutes or hours).
  • While App is Running: Allows you to keep your Mac turned on while a specific app is running in the foreground. When you click this pick, Amphetamine will display all apps. Cull an app and click the Select button. Your Mac will stay awake while the selected app is running, even when yous close the lid. If yous want your Mac to play songs when you shut the chapeau, just add together Apple Music to this session configuration.
  • While File is Downloading: macOS interrupts ongoing downloads if your device goes to sleep. It's annoying when this happens, especially if you accept to restart the download from scratch. You can utilize the "While File is Downloading" pick to prevent this from happening; Amphetamine will proceed your Mac on until the download is complete.

You can employ Amphetamine without having to connect to a power source. Although your Mac'southward battery might bleed faster in this way, you can configure the app to end a session when your battery drops to a certain percentage. Open the app's bill of fare and select Preferences.

In the System Defaults tab, select the option that reads: Terminate session if charge (%) is below. Afterward, utilize the slider to select the bombardment level beneath which Amphetamine would stop the Closed-Brandish session.

To end a Airtight-Display session, open your Mac's lid, select the pill-shaped icon on the carte du jour bar and select the Finish Current Session button.

To remove Amphetamine from the menu bar, open the Action Monitor and force quit the app.

At that place are other bully apps that tin can help prevent your Mac from sleeping with the hat closed, but Amphetamine does a actually great job. Plus, it sports interesting automation and customization options.

Of import Things to Note

Keeping your Mac awake when the chapeau is closed comes with some downsides, too. For one, your device may go abnormally hot. This mostly happens when you're running also many apps or when your Mac is left in Closed-Display mode for too long. To mitigate this, keep the closed Mac in a absurd, well-ventilated room.

Place the Mac in a vertical position when you shut the lid (utilize a vertical laptop stand, if you have one) so that heat dissipates from the device more than evenly, especially from the lesser instance. Finally, avoid keeping your Mac in a haversack or other enclosed spaces for too long when it'southward in Closed-Display mode. Drib a comment if yous accept any questions.