Sleep and power

Mac sleep stops downloads

A Mac that goes to sleep stops most app activity, so a long download can stop or fail. Keep the Mac awake for the download, then let it sleep again.

Applies to: macOS 13 Ventura and later for the System Settings paths. pmset and caffeinate are in all current macOS versions.Checked: 29 October 2026

Symptoms

A large download stops when you leave the Mac.
The download app shows an error or starts again after the Mac wakes.
Uploads and backups do not finish overnight.

Likely causes

Idle sleep. macOS puts the Mac to sleep after a time with no input. Network activity does not always stop this.
Display sleep on a laptop. On a Mac laptop, the system can sleep when the display turns off, unless you change the setting.
Battery power. On battery, the Mac uses its battery settings, which save power.
The lid. Closing the lid of a Mac laptop puts it to sleep. See Keep a Mac laptop working with the lid closed.

How to check

See which processes now prevent sleep. If none is there for the download app, the Mac can sleep.
```
pmset -g assertions
```
See the sleep and display sleep times that are in use.
```
pmset -g
```
Choose Apple menu > System Settings > Lock Screen. Look at the times to turn the display off.

How to fix it

Keep the Mac awake for one download with caffeinate. It stops when you press Control-C.
```
caffeinate -i
```
Or keep it awake for a fixed time, in seconds. This example is four hours.
```
caffeinate -i -t 14400
```
On a Mac laptop, choose System Settings > Battery > Options.
Turn on “Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off”. Connect the power adapter.
On a Mac desktop, choose System Settings > Energy. Turn on “Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off”.
Turn the setting off again after the download if you do not need it. Apple says that it can increase power use.

With Kilobat

Open Kilobat from the menu bar, click the teacup and choose Until Downloads Finish. The Mac can sleep again when transfers go quiet.
Or use the CLI. It ends after 3 minutes below 16 KB/s.
```
kilobat awake --until-quiet
```
Watch one app only. Use the app's id from kilobat status --json.
```
kilobat awake --until-quiet --app com.apple.Safari
```
Keeping the Mac awake is free. See Keep your Mac awake until a download finishes.

Questions

Does the laptop setting work on battery?

No. The setting is “Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off”. It applies when the power adapter is connected.

Will the Mac sleep when I close the lid?

Yes. Closing the lid puts a Mac laptop to sleep, unless you use it with an external display. See Keep a Mac laptop working with the lid closed.

Sources

Apple Support: Set sleep and wake settings for your Mac
Apple Support: Put your Mac to sleep or wake it
caffeinate(8), man page installed with macOS 27.2
pmset(1), man page installed with macOS 27.2

Sources checked on 29 October 2026. Man pages are the ones installed with macOS; open one with man <name> in Terminal.