How to stop your screen from turning off or your PC from sleeping

Your computer has two timers. One turns the screen off when you stop touching the mouse or keyboard. The other puts the whole computer to sleep. They are separate, and each one has its own setting for when you are plugged in and when you are on battery.

If a download stops halfway or a video call drops, the sleep timer is usually the reason. If the screen only goes dark while the computer keeps working, it is the screen timer. Here is how to change both.

Change the timers on Windows 11

1. Open Settings. The quick way is to press Win + I.
2. Go to Settings › System › Power & battery.
3. Open Screen, sleep, & hibernate timeouts.
4. Next to Turn my screen off after, pick a time, or choose Never. There is one choice for battery and one for plugged in.
5. Next to Make my device sleep after, do the same.

On Windows 10

The idea is the same, but the page is named differently. Open Settings › System › Power & sleep. Under Screen and Sleep you will find the same pair of choices, for battery and for plugged in.

Change the timers on a Mac

On a Mac, the screen timer and the sleep setting live in different places. Apple's help pages describe the steps for macOS Ventura and newer.

Keep the screen on longer

1. Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
2. Click Lock Screen in the sidebar.
3. Use the pop-up menus Turn display off on battery when inactive and Turn display off on power adapter when inactive. Pick a longer time, or Never if it is offered.

Stop the Mac from sleeping on its own

On a MacBook, open System Settings › Battery › Options. Turn on Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off.

On a desktop Mac, open System Settings › Energy. Turn on Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off.

Good to know before you change anything

• Plugged in is safer. A laptop that never sleeps on battery can run flat without warning. Keep the long timers for when the charger is connected.
• Two settings, two jobs. If you want to watch a long download, the sleep timer is the one that matters. The screen can go dark as long as the computer stays awake.
• Change it back later. A computer that never sleeps uses more power. When the call or download is done, set the timers back.

Or just ask Key

Key is a free assistant that lives on your Windows PC or Mac. It opens the real Settings window, changes the setting for you and tells you what it did. You can speak or type, and both give the same result.

You can say it the way you would tell a friend, even in half a sentence. Key works out what you meant, does it in the real app, and checks the result before it answers.

KeyVoice

Don't let my computer go to sleep while I'm plugged in

opened the power settingsset sleep to never when plugged inleft the battery timers alone

Done: your computer will stay awake while it is plugged in, and the battery timers are unchanged.

Checked: the sleep setting for plugged in now reads Never.

If you only want the change for a while, say so and ask Key to remind you to put it back. Key can also change other settings the same way. Our guide on changing brightness, dark mode and other settings by voice has more examples.

If it still goes to sleep

First check that you changed the right line. Windows has separate boxes for battery and plugged in, and it is easy to fix only one of them. On a Mac, check both the Lock Screen page and the Battery or Energy page.

Second, close the lid only if you mean it. On many laptops, closing the lid puts the computer to sleep whatever the timers say.

Third, press a key or move the mouse to wake it. If it will not wake, hold the power button for a few seconds. Then try the settings again.

That is all there is to it: two timers, a few clicks, and your call or download can finish in peace.

Related guide: How to check your microphone and camera before a meeting