ctrlhq

Keep awake

No more dozing Macs.

Keep your Mac awake through a long download, a render or a talk. Turn the screen off and it keeps working, even with the lid closed.

Buy ctrlhq · Launch price, regularly $29: $24.99Launch price, regularly ₹1,999: ₹1,499

One-time purchase, lifetime updates

Already bought? Download

Shortcut ⌃⌥K

Your Mac going to sleep in the middle of a download, a long export or a presentation is always at the worst time.

ctrlhq keeps it awake for as long as you need, then lets it sleep normally again. When you'd rather not leave the screen glowing, turn it off: a short countdown in the notch, then the display goes dark and the work carries on. Move the mouse to bring it back.

And if you want to close the lid and walk away, turning the screen off keeps it running with the lid shut and no external display plugged in (in beta).

Try it

Nook, awake

What you get

  • For a while

    30 minutes, 1 hour or 2 hours, then back to normal by itself.

  • Until you say so

    Or keep it awake until you turn it off.

  • Screen off, still working

    A 5-second countdown in the notch, then the display sleeps and your Mac keeps going. Move the mouse or press a key to wake it. ⌃⌥⇧K from any app.

  • Close the lid (beta)

    With the screen off, keep running with the lid shut, no monitor needed. It stops on low battery or if your Mac gets too hot.

  • One shortcut

    ⌃⌥K toggles it from any app.

Questions

Is this like caffeinate or Amphetamine?

Same idea, built into the notch, so there's no extra menu bar icon. Like Amphetamine's closed-display mode, it can also keep running with the lid closed.

Can I turn the screen off but keep my Mac running?

Yes. Pick Turn screen off, keep running in the Keep Awake menu, press ⌃⌥⇧K, or say "turn off the screen". The notch counts down, then the display sleeps while downloads, renders and builds keep going.

Does it work with the lid closed?

Yes, in beta. Pick Turn screen off, keep running in the Keep Awake menu, then close the lid. It needs a one-time approval in System Settings. See closed-lid mode for how it works.

Using something else for this? Compare:ctrlhq vs Amphetamine

Also in the notch

All features

Keep awake, and everything else.

Every feature is in one app, for one price: $24.99₹1,499 once, no subscription.

Buy ctrlhq · Launch price, regularly $29: $24.99Launch price, regularly ₹1,999: ₹1,499

One-time purchase, lifetime updates

Already bought? Download

macOS 15 Sequoia or later · Apple silicon & Intel