How to use MacBook with LID CLOSED: Prevent Mac Sleep when lid is closed

There are many different reasons why you might want to use your MacBook with the lid closed. You might want to connect an external display and move your MacBook out of the way to free up space on your desk (although you could always use both displays). Alternatively, you may be downloading a software update or playing music from your Mac and have found that as soon as you close the lid, the download or music will stop.

If you want to prevent your Mac from sleeping when you close the lid, find out how to do it below, including the MacBook closed lid settings you need.

A related issue you might come across if you use your Mac with the lid closed is that when it comes to turning your Mac on it seems like you have to open the lid to hit the power button.. Fortunately, there is a solution to that scenario that you may find useful. So we’ve also included advice on how to turn on your Mac without opening the lid below.

See also: Best stands for MacBook and Best MacBook docking stations.

How to use a MacBook with the lid closed

The good news is that using a MacBook with the lid closed is much simpler than it used to be if you’re using a newer Mac and a newer version of the Mac operating system. In fact, if you’re experiencing problems using your Mac with the lid closed, it’s likely that you can address this by updating your Mac to a recent version of MacOS, assuming your Mac supports it (see our MacOS – compatibility check).

The crucial ingredient is an external screen.

1. Connect an external keyboard (can be wireless).
2. Connect an external mouse (can be wireless).
3. Connect an external monitor.
4. If you’re using a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, make sure Bluetooth is turned on and peripherals are paired with the Mac.
5. When your Mac notebook desktop appears on the external display, close the computer lid.
6. Your external display may blink for a moment, but then it will show your desktop (you may need to wake your Mac by pressing a key on the keyboard or moving the mouse).
7. You may find that your MacBook needs to be plugged in via the power adapter for the screen to display on the external display, but ours did not.

You can read more about using a second monitor with your Mac here.

But even with these settings, if you’re not attached to an external display, closing the lid will put the Mac to sleep.

What if you don’t want to connect an external monitor?

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How to prevent a macbook from sleeping when the lid is closed

Suppose you don’t want your MacBook to sleep when you close the lid? Maybe you’re busy downloading something and you don’t want it to stop, but you have to carry it somewhere. Or maybe you’ve left it downloading an update overnight or syncing your Time Machine backup and you’d rather not see a backlit keyboard. In another scenario, you might want to play music from the MacBook without having to open the lid – something that will probably appeal to a few DJs.

The problem is that your Mac goes to sleep when you close the lid if it’s not plugged in and connected to an external display.

Before changes that came with MacOS Ventura, there was an option to set your Mac to never go to sleep in system preferences (MacOS Monterey or older).

In MacOS Monterey and older

1. Open System Preferences.
2. Go to Battery (or Energy saving).
3. Select “Prevent your Mac from automatically sleeping when the screen is off.”

In MacOS Ventura and later

If you’re running MacOS Ventura or later, you might be wondering where the power saving and battery settings are that you need, and if it’s still possible to put your Mac to sleep or wake up at a specific time. We answer these questions below.

1. Open terminal
2. Enter the following command:

sudo pmset -a disablesleep 1

That should stop your Mac from sleeping. However, a better option may be to use a third-party app, such as Amphetamine or Caffeinated.

Amphetamine is a free download from the Mac App Store here. Amphetamine keeps your Mac awake by overriding power-saving settings. We review amphetamines here. Caffeinated is available in the MAC App Store here for $3.99/£3.99, this app also overrides the power savers to keep your MAC awake and prevents your Mac from sleeping.

How to play music with your Mac’s lid closed

You can use the free Amphetamine app to keep your Mac awake while the screen is closed, here’s how:

Once installed on a Mac, you’ll find a pill-shaped icon in the menu bar at the top of the screen. You can choose from options like Start New Session while the file is downloading or while the app is running.

If you want to keep music (or whatever app you’re using) running with the lid closed, you need to have that app open first. Then follow these steps:

1. Click on the amphetamine icon in the menu bar.
2. Click on Quick settings.
3. IN Session Defaults Section, Deselect “Allow system sleep when display is closed.”
4. Go back to the main menu and select while App is running and choose Music Or the app you use. If your app is not open, it will not appear in the list. Only running apps are displayed.
5. You will now be able to close the lid of your Mac and continue listening to music.

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How to continue a download with a macbook lid closed

You can also use Amphetamine if you wanted to download something with the screen closed, but you can also set your Mac to wake up for network access, which should mean your Mac can still run updates in the background even if it’s sleeping.

In MacOS Ventura and later

1. Open System settings.
2. Go to Battery.
3. Click on Possibilities.
4. Make sure “Wake for Network Access” is set to On Always.

In MacOS Monterey and older

There is a similar setting in Monterey and older that you can use to ensure that downloads continue in the background.

1. Open System Preferences.
2. Go to Battery (or Energy saving).
3. Select “Wake for Network Access.”

See: How Apple revamped System Preferences in MacOS Ventura.

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How to turn on the MacBook with the lid closed

If your setup means your MacBook is attached to a display, you’ll be able to use it without having the display open – but what about when you need to turn it on? At that point, you have to open the lid to press the power button, right? Not necessarily.

It’s easy to wake your MacBook from sleep without opening the lid. Just click or move the mouse or press the keyboard. But what if you want to boot up the MAC without opening the lid to reveal the power button?

Can it be done? It can! (Kind)

MacOS Ventura and later

In older versions of macOS, it was possible to set your Mac to turn on and off at specific times of the day. Unfortunately, this is no longer so simple to create.

To schedule your Mac to turn on or off in MacOS Ventura or later, use Terminal. Follow these steps:

1. Open terminal.
2. Enter one of the following PMSET commands:
   pmset -g sched (See the current schedule).
   sudo pmset repeat wake M 8:00:00 (Schedule your Mac to wake up at 8:00 a.m. every Monday.)
   sudo pmset repeat cancel (Cancel the current schedule.)
3. Press Return.

For more advice on how to do this consult Apple’s support page.

We also cover how to schedule your Mac to turn on and off separately and how to set the power scheduling that disappeared in MacOS Ventura.

Macos Monterey and older:

There is a setting in Monterey and earlier that allows you to set your Mac to turn on at a specific time.

1. Open System Preferences.
2. Click Battery (or Energy Saveri older versions).
3. Click Schedule.
4. Now click next to it Start up or Wake And choose the days and times you want your Mac to boot up. Note that the Mac only turns on when it’s plugged in – you could just leave the MAC Unplugged and when you want it to boot up, just plug it in.

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