How to Keep a Laptop Awake With the Lid Closed (Windows and Mac)

To keep a Windows laptop awake with the lid closed, open Control Panel, Power Options, Choose what closing the lid does, and set When I close the lid to Do nothing for Plugged in. On a Mac, use clamshell mode: connect the power adapter, an external display, and a keyboard and mouse, then close the lid; the Mac keeps running on the external display. Without a display, a Mac needs an admin command (sudo pmset -a disablesleep 1) or an app like Amphetamine. With the lid open, the plain sleep settings for Windows and Mac are in how to stop your computer from sleeping.

A laptop that stays awake with the lid closed still shows you as away in Slack after 10 minutes, because nobody touches the keyboard or mouse. To stay green with the lid closed, the session has to come from somewhere else, as covered below.

Ways to keep a laptop running with the lid closed

Windows 11 and 10: keep the laptop awake with the lid closed

• Open Control Panel and go to Hardware and Sound, Power Options.
• Click Choose what closing the lid does.
• Next to When I close the lid, set Plugged in to Do nothing. Leave On battery on Sleep unless you need it.
• Click Save changes.

Newer Windows 11 builds also show lid settings under Settings, System, Power & battery. The same change from a terminal, for the current power plan while plugged in:

powercfg /setacvalueindex SCHEME_CURRENT SUB_BUTTONS LIDACTION 0
powercfg /setactive SCHEME_CURRENT

0 means do nothing; 1 is sleep. On a company laptop the option may be greyed out by policy.

Mac: keep a MacBook awake with the lid closed

Clamshell mode (no admin). Plug in the power adapter, connect an external display and a keyboard and mouse (or trackpad), then close the lid. The Mac keeps running on the external display. Unplug power or the display and it sleeps.

Without an external display. macOS sleeps when you close the lid. This command stops all sleep, needs an admin password, and should be undone afterwards:

sudo pmset -a disablesleep 1   # keep awake, lid closed too
sudo pmset -a disablesleep 0   # back to normal

A closed MacBook running this way in a bag can overheat. How to check whether the setting is still on, and why it survives a restart, is in pmset disablesleep. Amphetamine from the App Store offers a closed-display mode with its own helper. caffeinate alone does not stop lid-close sleep; see our caffeinate guide.

Does Slack stay active with the laptop closed?

No. If the laptop sleeps, Slack sets you away within seconds. If you keep it awake with the lid closed, Slack still counts no input in its window and sets you away 10 minutes after your last one. Either way your coworkers see the grey dot. The rules are in how long does Slack stay active, and the desktop options in how to keep Slack always active on desktop. Teams behaves in a similar way: Away when idle or locked, Offline once the laptop sleeps, as shown in does Teams stay green when the computer is asleep.

What does work with the lid closed:

• Your phone, with Slack on screen. See keep Slack active on your phone.

• A server-side session. Slack Green keeps your dot green on a schedule you pick from its side, so you can close the lid and let the laptop sleep.

Before you leave a laptop running closed

• Keep it on a hard, open surface, not in a bag.

• Plug it in; battery drain is fast with the lid closed and awake. Watts per power state, and how to measure your own laptop, are in does keeping your laptop awake drain the battery.

• Check your company's policy on changing power settings on managed laptops. For methods that need no admin rights, see keep a work computer awake without admin rights.

FAQ

How do I keep my laptop running with the lid closed?

Windows: set closing the lid to Do nothing in Power Options. Mac: clamshell mode with power and an external display.

How do I keep a MacBook awake with the lid closed without a monitor?

sudo pmset -a disablesleep 1, which needs admin rights, or Amphetamine's closed-display mode. Undo it afterwards.

Is it bad to run a laptop with the lid closed?

It is fine on a hard surface with airflow and power. It can overheat in a bag.

Does Slack stay active when my laptop is closed?

No. A sleeping laptop sets you away at once, and an awake one after 10 minutes without keyboard or mouse input.

Does Teams stay green with the laptop closed?

No. Teams shows Offline when the computer sleeps, and Away after a few minutes without input if it stays awake.