You may have noticed that every time you don’t use your Mac for a few minutes, the screen turns off. Note that while your Mac’s screen is off, it doesn’t go to sleep: Sleep mode is a different feature that you can enable from the menu bar.
Your Mac screen turns off due to a feature called screen timeout. Mac screen timeout can be helpful for some and frustrating for others. In this article, we’ll cover how to change how long your screen stays on Mac and show you how to make the default setting shorter, longer, or turn it off entirely.
What is screen timeout?
Screen timeout is simply a feature that all Macs (especially MacBooks) use to save battery life and power consumption. By default, MacBooks enable screen timeout after two minutes of inactivity on battery power and 10 minutes when connected to a power source.
Some apps prevent your Mac from enabling screen timeout. Screen timeout never kicks in while watching a movie or YouTube, for example.
In most cases, you don’t want your Mac’s screen to be on all the time. So screen timeout is really very useful. And of course, as with most other features, you can also change the idle timeout on Mac.
Screen timeout can’t harm your Mac?
Does keeping the screen on for long periods of time damage your Mac? No problem. Macs are built with all sorts of security precautions, making it almost impossible to damage your Mac in everyday use.
However, having the screen on all the time could shorten the life of your Mac, simply because the CPU, screen, and battery require so much more work.
How do you check your battery life? The easiest way to do this is with a CleanMyMac X monitor.
CleanMyMac X is an optimization tool for your Mac that helps get rid of old files, completely uninstall apps, check for malware, and keep your Mac in overall good shape. It is very easy to use as most tasks require only a few clicks and no technical knowledge is required.
Similarly, you can check the status of your battery with the CleanMyMac X monitor:
- Launch CleanMyMac X and click the Monitor icon in the menu bar
- Click on the Battery panel for more information.
✕ Remove app banner
If your Mac no longer has great battery life, or you just want to prolong it, the easiest solution available today is to rely on Endurance.
Endurance is a simple utility that does nothing more than extend your Mac’s battery life by up to 20%. You can install Endurance to your menu bar, choose from a few simple options available, and enjoy longer battery life right away, no matter the current state of your Mac’s battery.
✕ Remove app banner
How to Increase or Decrease Mac Screen Timeout
You can adjust the time that elapses before your Mac turns off the screen. In fact, there are two settings: one for when your MacBook is on battery, and the other for when it’s connected to a power source.
To make a Mac screen timeout change while on battery:
- Go to System Preferences > Battery
- Switch to the Battery tab
- Reset “Screen off after:” to whatever setting you want, from 1 minute to Never
To change the same settings for when connected to a power source:
- Open System Preferences > Battery
- Go to Power adapter
- Adjust the slider to the value you need
If you want to know how to change the screen timeout on Mac at any time, or extend it just when you need it, the easiest way to do it is with One Switch.
One Switch is a simple yet very powerful utility that allows you to access the most useful Mac features with just one click. From the menu bar, you can hide desktop icons, turn on dark mode, connect to AirPods, and more. It can keep your Mac awake longer.
To prevent your Mac from turning off its screen:
- Click the One Switch icon in the menu bar
- Toggle Keep Awake on or use the dropdown menu to specify how long you want the screen to be on
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How to Change Screen Saver Timeout on Mac
Screen timeout isn’t the only thing that can interrupt your workflow on Mac. By default, Macs also have a screen saver, which turns on automatically after about five minutes.
You can also easily adjust the screen saver time:
- Open System Preferences > Desktop & Screen Saver
- Switch to the Screensaver tab
- Use the dropdown menu next to “Show screen saver after” to change the time period
Advice
To activate your screen saver at any time, click Active Corners… and select Start Screen Saver. When you hit that corner with your mouse, your screensaver will start automatically.
But for easy screensaver management, just rely on One Switch. Click the One Switch icon in the menu bar and activate the screen saver.
Don’t have a great screensaver in mind? Just get Magic Window Air.
Magic Window Air is an ingenious utility that shows you a selected collection of the most beautiful aerial landscapes in 4K quality, every time your screen saver is activated. Just install the app and enjoy.
✕ Remove app banner
How to keep your Mac screen on at all times
If you are wondering how to increase screen time on Mac to infinity, one way to do it is to use the option described above:
- Open System Preferences > Battery
- Go to Battery and power adapter
- Change “Screen off after:” to Never
The problem with changing settings in System Preferences is that it’s easy to forget about them and, as a result, shorten battery life. Instead, try Lungo.
Lungo is the easiest way to specify how long your Mac needs to stay awake. This utility lives in your menu bar and lets you choose the wake time from infinity to a few minutes. And you can also set your own custom time periods in the preferences.
✕ Remove app banner
How to restore default screen timeout settings
With all the ways on how to change screen timeout on Mac, there may be times when you just want to go back to defaults. Luckily, it’s easy to do.
To restore default screen timeout settings:
- Launch System Preferences > Battery
- Go to Battery and power adapter
- Click Restore Defaults
As you can see, figuring out how to change screen timeout on Mac only takes a few minutes. But check your battery health first with CleanMyMac X. Then extend your battery life with Endurance. Use One Switch or Lungo to control the timeout setting. And turn on Magic Window Air to enjoy the most beautiful screen savers out there.
Best of all, CleanMyMac X, Endurance, One Switch, Lungo, and Magic Window Air are all available for free for seven days with a trial version of Tecnologar, a platform with more than 240 of the best applications and utilities for Mac. iOS. Try all of Tecnologar’s apps today for free and see how it can enhance your Mac experience.
