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Amphetamine

Amphetamine is a free Mac utility for you if downloads, running apps, or other ongoing work need your computer to stay awake without constant interaction.

by William Gustafson

What you get

Keep your Mac working even when you step away.

You can leave your Mac downloading a file or running an app without sleep interrupting it. Start a keep-awake session from the menu bar, then let it run indefinitely, for a set duration, or until a particular time. You can also tie the session to a download or a specific app, rather than remembering to turn it off yourself.

You decide whether your display stays on too. That means you can keep your Mac awake with the screen asleep, or keep the screen visible when you need to watch it. You can also choose whether the screen saver and screen locking are allowed during a session.

If your routine repeats, you can have sessions start automatically when you connect a display, join a particular Wi-Fi network, or plug in power. You can set sessions to end when your battery runs low. The app is free, with no ads, paid upgrades, or tracking.

  • Leave downloads running

    You can keep your Mac awake while a file downloads, without periodically touching the keyboard.

  • Set an end time

    You can prevent sleep for a chosen duration or until a specific time instead of leaving it disabled indefinitely.

  • Let your screen rest

    You can allow the display to sleep while your Mac stays awake.

  • Repeat without manual setup

    You can automatically keep your Mac awake based on connected devices, running apps, power status, or your Wi-Fi network.

Best for

  • You leave downloads or apps running unattended
  • You need your screen to remain visible without interaction
  • You want keep-awake sessions tied to your desk setup

Skip it if

You don't need it if your Mac's normal sleep settings already suit your work.

Screenshots

From the developer

Welcome to Amphetamine, the most awesome keep-awake app ever created for macOS. Amphetamine can keep your Mac, and optionally its display(s), awake through a super simple on/off switch, or automatically through easy-to-configure Triggers.
Read the full description

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