If you have a workspace where you have to spend a long time on your Mac, it can be annoying when the screen goes dark frequently. In that case, you need to customize your Mac without settling for the default features. Fortunately, it is very easy to change the time when your Macbook screen goes dark. We have prepared a quick guide to extend the MacBook screen time and delay sleep mode. Let's take a look!
How to Extend MacBook Screen Time?
To change the screen dimming time, one of the MacBook sleep settings, follow these steps:
- On a Mac, click the Apple menu, which looks like the Apple logo in the upper-left corner.
- Click on System Settings or System Preferences .
- In the menu that appears, you will see the '' Lock Screen '' option. Click on it.
- Now you need to choose how you want your Mac to behave when the charger is plugged in and when it is unplugged.
- You'll see an option to " Turn off display after inactivity on battery ." Here, you can specify how long before your Mac goes to sleep while plugged into battery.
- Just to the right of '' There's a section called 'Turn off the display after this amount of inactivity when plugged in' . Here you can also specify how long your Mac will go to sleep when plugged in. This way, you can also optimize your battery usage.
How to Turn Off Sleep Mode on MacBook?
So how do you stop the screen from turning off on a Mac? If you want, you can completely turn off sleep mode on the MacBook Pro and Air. When you do this, it will stay on even if you don't use your Mac for hours. To do this:
- Go to the Apple menu and select System Settings.
- Click on the battery icon.
- Options will appear on the right. Among these options, '' Click ' Prevent the screen from automatically going to sleep when it's off and the power adapter is plugged in '. That's it. Your Mac will no longer dim the screen even if you don't use it for a long time.
Does Sleep Mode Harm My MacBook?
There’s no harm in putting your Mac to sleep during short breaks when you don’t shut it down. This will help conserve battery power and reduce battery cycle times in the long run. Discover more about battery health and battery cycle health on your MacBook.
But if you are using sleep mode as an alternative to shutting down your Mac, be careful!
- Mac fans are divided into two on this issue. Some experts think that it is necessary to turn off the fans at certain intervals to allow the device and battery to rest.
There Are Benefits to Putting Your MacBook to Sleep
Some people think that completely shutting down a Mac prevents some maintenance tasks from running . When you are not using your Mac and put it to sleep, it does a lot of work in the background.
- During this cycle, also called "Power Nap", emails arrive, contacts are updated, calendar, iCloud, notes and reminders remain up to date.
- The Mac's location is also updated, making it possible to use Find My at night.
- Moreover, if your Mac is asleep while plugged in, software updates are downloaded, items you downloaded from the AppStore are updated, and Time Machine backups are completed.
- Help Center updates are complete.
- Spotlight indexing occurs.
- When you want to use your Mac again, it wakes quickly and requires no waiting time.
MacBook Which Macs have PowerNap mode? This mode is available on nearly all Macs made since the early 2010s.
How to enable PowerNap mode on MacBook? PowerNap mode is enabled by default on MacBook. So you don't need to enable it specifically. If you still want to check the settings, you can click on Energy Saver in System Preferences. Here you will see the option "Enable Power Nap" at the bottom. Make sure it is marked with a blue tick.
Note: Due to Apple's "always-on" silicon, Power Nap mode is not required on Macs with M1 chips. Without it, the MacBook will perform these updates anyway.
What Does Hot Corner Setting Mean on MacBook?
On MacBooks, the hot corner setting allows you to perform a pre-set action when you move your cursor to a specific area. For example, you can set the device to automatically go to sleep when you move your cursor to the upper right corner. To do this, click System Preferences from the Apple menu. Then click the ''Desktop & Screen Saver'' icon.
On the page that opens, you will see the hot corners setting just below. You can assign a different action to each corner.
That's all for now about changing the MacBook's sleep mode time, setting the screen dimming time, and disabling sleep mode! If you want to take good care of your Mac, don't forget to also purchase a hard-shell leather MacBook Protective Case from KraftCover. KraftCover leather or fabric MacBook Pro protective cases perfectly protect your device from bumps, scratches, and scuffs.
MacBook Display and Sleep Settings: Special Solutions for Business and Presentation Scenarios
When setting up screen dimming and sleep mode, some specific situations may require different approaches. For example, if you're giving long presentations or participating in video conferences, it's important for your screen to remain on at all times.
Using free apps like Caffeine or Amphetamine on your MacBook can temporarily prevent your screen from going dark or sleeping while certain apps are running. This can be a lifesaver, especially during Zoom, Teams, or PowerPoint presentations.
Another practical solution for professional users is to create automatic settings profiles for different scenarios. For example:
- Presentation Profile: Screen always on
- Normal Operation: Screen dims after 10 minutes
- Battery Saver: Screen dims after 2 minutes
Tip: You can quickly switch profiles via Control Center, so you can instantly change your settings depending on the situation.