How to stop Mac from dimming after inactivity?

There’s another really simple tool I found called ‘Amphetamine’ which is quite similar to Caffeine. Here’s how you can use it:

1. Download Amphetamine from the App Store.
2. Open the app and configure it to your preferences.
3. Click the pill icon in the menu bar to keep your display from dimming.

Amphetamine offers more customization to your settings, allowing you to keep your Mac awake under specific conditions, such as when certain apps are running.

I hope one of these solutions works for you!

I prefer using a combination of system settings and third-party software. First, change your Mac settings:

1. Open ‘System Preferences.’
2. Go to ‘Displays.’
3. Click the ‘Night Shift’ tab and set the schedule to ‘Off.’
4. Then, go to ‘Accessibility.’
5. Select ‘Display’ and tick ‘Reduce Transparency.’
6. Adjust the ‘Brightness’ slider to your preference.

Then, download the Amphetamine app from the App Store. It provides fine-grained control over when your screen stays awake. This dual-approach worked best for me.

I remember tackling this issue a few months ago. My MacBook’s screen dimmed even during short breaks, which made it quite frustrating when working on prolonged tasks. Essentially, tweaking a few settings here and there finally did the trick for me.

First, I went into ‘System Preferences’ and clicked on ‘Energy Saver.’ There, I adjusted the display sleep settings to ‘Never’ for both battery and power adapter modes. Although this helped, I noticed my Mac still slightly dimmed when I wasn’t vigilant with interactive tasks.

This led me to explore other solutions. I came across the ‘Caffeine’ app, a nifty tool that keeps your screen awake with a single click. Installing it from the App Store, I made sure to activate it every time I needed my Mac to remain fully awake. The software added a coffee cup icon to my menu bar, and one click made sure the screen stayed on. It’s a great quick fix if you need it intermittently.

However, for longer-term changes, I also ventured into Terminal commands as I have a bit of engineering background. I opened Terminal and punched in sudo pmset -a displaysleep 0, a straightforward command that effectively keeps the screen from going to sleep by setting the display sleep timer to zero. This command needs your admin password, but once confirmed, it takes effect instantly. Since that adjustment, my Mac has stopped dimming during my break periods.

So, combining both methods offered a robust setup. I could toggle Caffeine for quick sessions and rely on the Terminal adjustment for wider periods of screen activity. This dual approach provided a precise solution, making work a lot more seamless.

You could also try adjusting energy settings for applications. Specifically:

1. Open ‘Activity Monitor’ from Applications > Utilities.
2. Go to the ‘Energy’ tab.
3. Check which apps use significant energy when idle.
4. Close those high-energy apps or adjust their settings to prevent them from triggering power-saving modes.

This method helps balance energy consumption and prevents the display from dimming due to background processes.

I had the same problem, and it drove me nuts! What worked for me is keeping the Caffeine app running. It’s a small utility that prevents your Mac from going to sleep, dimming the screen, or starting the screensaver. Just install Caffeine from the App Store, launch it, and click the coffee cup icon in your menu bar to keep your screen awake. Super simple and very effective!

You can also use the Terminal to adjust settings more precisely. Here are the steps:

1. Open Terminal from Applications > Utilities.
2. Type the following command and press Enter: sudo pmset -a displaysleep 0
3. Enter your administrator password when prompted.

This command sets the display sleep timer to zero, preventing the screen from dimming.

To stop your Mac from dimming after inactivity, follow these steps:

1. Open System Preferences from the Apple menu.
2. Click on ‘Energy Saver.’
3. Ensure that both the ‘Battery’ and ‘Power Adapter’ tabs are set to ‘Never’ for the ‘Turn display off after:’ slider.
4. Uncheck ‘Slightly dim the display while on battery power.’
5. Close the preferences window to save changes.

This should keep your Mac’s display from dimming.

For a more hands-on approach, adjust these settings in System Preferences:

1. Open ‘System Preferences.’
2. Navigate to ‘Lock Screen.’
3. Under ‘Start screen saver’ set a longer duration or choose ‘Never.’
4. Next, go to ‘Security & Privacy.’
5. Under ‘General,’ adjust the ‘Require password’ setting to a lengthier time after sleep or screen saver begins.

These settings help maintain display brightness during your sessions.