There are many different reasons why you might want to use your MacBook with the lid closed. You may want to connect an external display and move your MacBook out of the way to free up space on your desk (although you can always use both displays). Alternatively, you may want to download a software update or play music from your Mac and have found that as soon as you close the lid, the download stops.
If you want to prevent your Mac from sleeping when you close the lid, learn how to do that below.
A related issue that you may run into when using your Mac with the lid closed is that when it comes to turning on your Mac, it seems like you have to open the lid to hit the power switch.. Fortunately, there is a workaround for that scenario that you may find helpful. Learn how to turn on your Mac without opening the lid.
Using a MacBook with the lid closed
The good news is that this is a lot easier than it used to be if you’re using a newer Mac and a newer version of the Mac operating system. If you’re having trouble using your Mac with the lid closed, updating your Mac to a recent version of macOS can probably fix it – otherwise, assuming your Mac supports it, try the steps below.
- Connect an external keyboard (may be wireless).
- Connect an external mouse (may be wireless).
- Connect an external monitor.
- If you’re using a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, make sure Bluetooth is turned on and the peripherals are paired with the Mac.
- After the desktop of your Mac notebook appears on the external display, close the lid of the computer.
- Your external monitor may blink for a moment, but then your desktop will appear (you may need to wake your Mac from sleep mode by pressing a key on the keyboard or moving the mouse).
- Your MacBook may need to be plugged in through the power adapter for the screen to appear on the external monitor, but ours doesn’t.
You can read more about using a second display with your Mac here.
How do I turn on the MacBook with the lid closed?
You can easily wake your MacBook without opening the lid – click or move the mouse or tap the keyboard. But what if you want to boot the Mac without opening the lid to reveal the power button.
Can it? It’s possible! (Kind of)
For macOS Ventura:
- Open System Preferences.
- Click Energy Saver.
- Click Schedule.
- Now click next to Start Up or Wake and choose the days and times you want your Mac to start up. Keep in mind that the Mac only turns on when it’s plugged in – so you can just leave the Mac unplugged and when you want it to start up, just plug it in.
In macOS Ventura:
In Ventura, System Preferences has been changed to System Settings, making this process a little more complicated. You can prevent your Mac from going to sleep, but you cannot set a time for the Mac to wake up in Ventura. To prevent your Mac from going to sleep, follow these steps:
- Open System Settings.
- Click Lock screen.
- Next to Turn off screen when idle, select Never.
- Also click Never next to Turn off screen on power adapter when inactive.
This will keep the screen from going to sleep.
You can adjust the battery settings by following these steps:
- Go to System Settings.
- Click on Battery.
- Next to Turn off screen when idle, select Never.
We also cover How to schedule your Mac to turn on and off separately.
How do you prevent a MacBook from sleeping with the lid closed?
Let’s say you don’t want your MacBook to sleep when you close the lid – maybe it’s downloading something and you don’t want it to stop, but you need to take it somewhere, or maybe you downloaded an update overnight or syncing your Time Machine backup and you’d rather not see the backlit keyboard. Another scenario where 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 will go to sleep when you close the lid if it’s not plugged in and connected to an external display.
You could never go to sleep in the System Preferences. Go to Power Saver > and select “Prevent your Mac from sleeping automatically when the screen is off.”
Another setting in System Preferences > Power Saver to choose is “Wake for Network Access,” which should mean your Mac can still run updates in the background even when it’s asleep.
But even with these settings, if you’re not connected to an external monitor, closing the lid will put the Mac to sleep. Fortunately, there are some third-party apps that can help with that problem.
Best Apps to Stop a Sleeping Mac
Here are some third-party apps you can use to prevent your Mac from falling asleep once the lid is closed:
sleepless
Available here on the Mac App Store for 99p, this little utility will stop your Mac from falling asleep.
amphetamine
A free download from the Mac App Store here, Amphetamine keeps your Mac awake by overriding the Power Saver settings. We review Amphetamine here.
Decaffeinated
Available here on the Mac App Store for 99 pence, this app overrides the Power Saver settings to keep your Mac awake and prevent your Mac from falling asleep.
