# Your Mac's display stays awake while an agent uses it

> While an agent is using your screen and apps, the Mac app keeps the display from sleeping, so an idle lock doesn't cut the agent off.

canonical: https://agentsky.dev/help/mac-stays-awake-computer-use
source: https://agentsky.dev/help/mac-stays-awake-computer-use.md
updated: 2026-11-03

---

**While an agent is using your Mac's screen, the display stays awake, so the Mac doesn't sleep and lock in the middle of the agent's work.**

An agent that is only reading the screen doesn't look like activity to macOS, so the display could otherwise sleep and the idle lock would follow. There is nothing to turn on.

- The display stays awake from the agent's first action.
- It can sleep again once no agent has acted for 30 seconds, or as soon as the agent stops.

Where: Mac app, during computer use ([What is computer use?](https://agentsky.dev/help/computer-use-overview)).

Good to know: this only holds off the display's sleep. It never unlocks a Mac that is already locked, and you can still lock your Mac yourself. Related: [Allow an agent to control a specific app](https://agentsky.dev/help/per-app-computer-use).