Pick how long, then walk away
Keep the Mac awake for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1, 2, 4 or 8 hours, or with no limit. A countdown shows how long is left, and Stop ends it early.
Stay Awake · Part of Recento Pro
Keep your Mac awake for as long as the job needs
Stop the Mac sleeping through a long build, render, upload or AI agent run. Sleep goes back to normal the moment the session ends, and Bag Mode keeps it working with the lid closed.
macOS 14 or later · Apple Silicon & Intel
- Pick how long, then walk away
- Sleep comes back on its own
- Let the screen sleep while the work runs
- Bag Mode: keep working with the lid closed
You start a long job, walk away, and come back to find the Mac asleep and the job stopped halfway. Changing the Energy settings works until you forget to change them back, and closing the lid puts a MacBook to sleep no matter what those settings say.
Stay Awake lets you keep your Mac awake for a set time, then hands sleep back to macOS by itself. For a MacBook that has to keep working with the lid shut, Bag Mode in Recento Pro does that too, and watches the chip temperature so a closed Mac in a bag cannot overheat unnoticed. Stay Awake is a tool inside Recento Utilities in Recento Pro.
What Stay Awake does
Sleep comes back on its own
When the session ends, your Mac's normal sleep settings apply again straight away. Nothing in System Settings is changed, so there is nothing to remember to undo.
Let the screen sleep while the work runs
By default only the Mac stays awake and the display is allowed to sleep, which saves power while the job keeps going. Turn on "Keep the display on too" when you need to see it.
Bag Mode: keep working with the lid closed
Close the lid and the Mac keeps running, with or without an external display. It is for the job that has to finish while you carry the laptop. Bag Mode is part of Recento Pro.
A heat watchdog on the CPU and GPU
A closed Mac in a bag cannot shed heat. Bag Mode checks the hottest CPU or GPU sensor every 15 seconds, and if it reaches your limit (90 °C by default, adjustable from 70 to 105 °C) it ends the session and puts the Mac to sleep.
Tells you what happened when you get back
If Bag Mode had to stop for heat, you get a notification the next time you open the lid, saying when it happened and how hot it was. The same note appears on the Stay Awake page.
One password per session, none to end it
Bag Mode asks for your administrator password once when it starts. When the session ends, whether it runs out, you press Stop or you quit Recento, sleep is restored without asking again, and Recento checks that it really was.
A record of every session
The History section shows the total time kept awake, plus how much of it was in Bag Mode, with the lid closed and with the lid open.
How it works
- 1Open Recento Pro, then Recento Utilities, and choose Stay Awake in the sidebar.
- 2Pick how long to keep the Mac awake.
- 3Choose whether the display should stay on too.
- 4For a lid-closed session, turn on Bag Mode, set the heat limit and enter your administrator password once.
- 5Click Start Staying Awake and walk away. Sleep returns by itself when the time is up.
Who it's for
- Developers and AI users: keep long builds, tests and agent runs going while you step away.
- Video and 3D creators: let a render or export finish without the Mac sleeping halfway.
- Anyone with big downloads or uploads: keep the transfer alive until it is done.
- People on the move: keep a MacBook working in a bag, with the heat watched for you.
Free and paid
| Feature | Free version | Recento Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Keep the Mac awake | Up to 60 min | No limit |
| Bag Mode (lid closed) | Not included | Included |
Recento Pro costs $9.99 a month after a 2 day free trial (cancel any time) or $99 once for a lifetime licence, and unlocks every module.
Plans, trial and refund terms are on the Recento Pro pricing section.
Privacy and permissions
- No permission for normal Stay Awake. It uses the same macOS power request that keeps a Mac awake during a presentation.
- Administrator password (Bag Mode only): macOS only lets a system-level power setting override lid-closed sleep, so Bag Mode asks for your password once per session. It is used to turn that setting on and to restore it at the end. Recento does not store it.
- Notifications (optional): used to tell you if Bag Mode stopped because of heat.
- Temperature readings are taken from your Mac's own sensors and never leave it.
Requirements
- macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
- Apple silicon and Intel Macs.
- Bag Mode needs a Mac that reports a readable CPU or GPU temperature. If yours does not, Recento says so and recommends leaving Bag Mode off.
- Part of Recento Utilities in Recento Pro.
Questions
How do I keep my Mac awake without changing my settings?
Open Stay Awake in Recento Utilities, pick a length of time and click Start Staying Awake. Your sleep settings are not touched, and normal sleep returns when the session ends.
Can I keep a MacBook awake with the lid closed and no external display?
Yes, with Bag Mode in Recento Pro. It asks for your administrator password once, then keeps the Mac running with the lid shut.
Is it safe to keep a MacBook running in a bag?
A closed Mac in a bag cannot shed heat well, which is why Bag Mode watches the hottest CPU or GPU sensor and puts the Mac to sleep when it reaches your limit. If your Mac has no readable temperature sensor, Recento tells you to leave Bag Mode off.
Why does Bag Mode need my administrator password?
macOS treats closing the lid as its own reason to sleep, and only a system-level setting can override that. Bag Mode asks once per session to turn it on. Turning it off again at the end needs no second password.
What if Recento quits or my Mac restarts during Bag Mode?
Quitting Recento ends the session and restores sleep. For a timed session, a small background check also restores sleep shortly after the planned end, even if Recento has stopped responding. If the Mac restarts mid-session, sleep stays off until you next open Recento, which restores it (and may ask for your password). If sleep is still off, the Stay Awake page says so and shows a Restore button.
Can the screen turn off while the Mac stays awake?
Yes, and that is the default. Turn on "Keep the display on too" only if you need to watch the screen.
How long can I keep my Mac awake for free?
Free sessions run for up to 60 minutes. Recento Pro removes the limit and adds the no-limit option and Bag Mode.
Does Stay Awake work on desktop Macs?
Yes. Normal Stay Awake works on any Mac. Bag Mode is meant for MacBooks, since it is about keeping the Mac working with the lid closed.
Let the job finish
Keep your Mac awake for long work, and get sleep back the moment it is done.
More from Recento Pro
Recento UtilitiesStay Awake is one of seven tools in Recento Utilities.
Recento Batterywatch battery health and set a charge limit for long sessions on power.
Recento Statssee power, battery and the apps using energy from the menu bar.
Recento Guardan alarm for a Mac left working on a table while you step away.
Lid Foldanother tool that follows your MacBook's lid.