Agent Awake: Keep your Mac running whil…: what you get for $7 (and who should skip it)
Lead
You know the specific frustration of running AI coding agents on a Mac: you kick off a task that looks like it will take twenty minutes, you go make coffee or grab lunch, and when you return, your laptop is asleep and the agent is frozen halfway through a refactor. It is a small annoyance that compounds quickly if you are using tools like Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor for serious work. (Agent Awake: Keep your)
Agent Awake is a tiny, $7 utility built specifically to solve this “sleeping Mac” problem. It sits in your menu bar, detects when a coding agent is actively working, and prevents your system from sleeping until the job is done. It is not a complex system or a subscription service; it is a single, native Mac app designed to let you walk away from your desk while your AI works.
Quick answer
| Best for | Developers and makers who use AI coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, etc.) and want to leave their Mac locked while tasks run. |
| Skip if | You are on Windows/Linux, you don’t use AI coding agents, or you prefer manual power management settings. |
| Price | $7 (one-time) |
| Format | Native macOS app (373 KB), direct download, notarized by Apple. |
| One-line take | A $7 “set it and forget it” tool that stops your Mac from sleeping during long AI agent sessions. |
What you’re actually buying
At $7, Agent Awake is priced like a coffee, but it solves a workflow bottleneck that usually requires tweaking system power settings or keeping a monitor awake with third-party scripts. The core value is automation: the app watches your process list for known coding agents. If it sees Claude Code, Codex, Aider, Gemini, Copilot, or Cursor running, it overrides the sleep timer. When those processes stop, it lets your Mac sleep normally. This means you don’t have to remember to turn a “caffeine” mode on and off manually; the tool handles the state change automatically based on whether your agent is actually working.
The feature set is lean but covers the main use cases for remote work. You get a “lock-and-leave” mode via a keyboard shortcut (⌘⇧A) or a menu bar click. This is crucial for security: you can lock your screen and walk to another room or leave the office, and the agent continues running in the background. You can also set a “keep display on for” timer if you want the screen to stay lit for a specific duration (10 minutes, an hour, all day) rather than just preventing sleep. The app lives entirely in the menu bar, so it doesn’t clutter your dock or launchpad. (Agent Awake: Keep your)
Because it is a native Mac app, it is signed and notarized by Apple. This is a significant detail for a tool that needs to monitor background processes. It is not distributed through the Mac App Store because the App Store sandbox restricts the kind of process detection required to identify specific coding agents. Instead, it is a direct download that opens cleanly without security warnings. The file size is only 373 KB, so it is lightweight and won’t bloat your system. You are paying for a one-time license, not a subscription, and it works on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs running macOS 13 or later. (Agent Awake: Keep your)
Why it’s on our radar
This tool addresses a very specific, high-frequency pain point for anyone integrating AI into their development workflow. The “Mac sleeps while agent works” issue is one of the most common complaints in AI coding communities, and the usual fix is either manual power setting changes (which are easy to forget) or heavier, less integrated utilities. Agent Awake strips the solution down to the essential job: detect agent, prevent sleep, allow sleep when idle.
The “lock and leave” functionality is a standout feature that many similar tools miss. Being able to secure your screen while the work continues is a major quality-of-life improvement for anyone who works from a shared space or just wants to step away for a long lunch. The fact that it supports a wide range of agents out of the box (with toggles for less common ones) makes it a versatile pick for teams or individuals who switch between different AI tools. (Agent Awake: Keep your)
One buyer on Gumroad reviews noted, “before this i constantly needed to make sure my screen doesn’t turn off while Cowork is doing its thing. now i leave it and come back an hour later. thanks!!!! totally worth the money.” That reaction captures the core value: it removes the mental overhead of monitoring your machine’s power state. Another user mentioned being “skeptical” at first but confirming that “Agent continues working and turns off automatically when done,” which highlights the reliability of the auto-detection feature.
What actually matters
When evaluating a tool this small, the details matter more than the feature list. Here is what to check before you buy: (Agent Awake: Keep your)
- Agent Compatibility: Verify that your specific AI tool is on the list. Claude Code is on by default, but you may need to toggle on support for Codex, Aider, Cursor, Gemini, or Copilot. If you use a niche or custom agent, check if it’s detectable via the process name. (Agent Awake: Keep your)
- macOS Version: Ensure you are running macOS 13 (Ventura) or later. It supports both Apple Silicon and Intel chips, but older Macs running Big Sur or Monterey will not be compatible. (Agent Awake: Keep your)
- Security Posture: Since it is a direct download and not from the App Store, confirm the download source is the official Gumroad link. The app is notarized by Apple, so it should open without Gatekeeper warnings, but always verify the publisher is Asobi Labs. (Agent Awake: Keep your)
- Power Settings: While the app prevents sleep, it does not change your general power settings for when no agents are running. You should still have your normal sleep preferences set for when you are not using AI tools. (Agent Awake: Keep your)
Mid-check
If you are ready to stop worrying about your Mac sleeping during long AI sessions, you can grab the app for $7. (Agent Awake: Keep your)
FAQ
Does Agent Awake work with all AI coding tools? It supports major agents like Claude Code, Codex, Aider, Cursor, Gemini, and Copilot. You can enable or disable detection for each one in the menu bar settings. If you use a less common tool, you may need to check if the process name is detectable.
Will it keep my screen awake forever? No. It prevents the system from sleeping while an agent is running. You can also set a “keep display on for” timer if you want the screen to stay lit for a specific time. Once the agent stops, your Mac will return to its normal sleep behavior. (Agent Awake: Keep your)
Is it a subscription? No. It is a one-time payment of $7. You get the app and updates for that version. There are no recurring fees or account requirements. (Agent Awake: Keep your)
Why isn’t it on the Mac App Store? The App Store sandbox restricts the kind of background process monitoring needed to detect specific coding agents. To function correctly, Agent Awake is distributed as a direct download, signed and notarized by Apple.
Bottom line
If you use AI coding agents on a Mac, Agent Awake is a low-risk, high-utility addition to your workflow. For $7, you get a native, lightweight app that solves the “sleeping Mac” problem automatically. It lets you lock your screen and walk away, confident that your agent will finish the task while you are gone. If you are tired of checking your power settings or keeping a monitor awake manually, this is the fix.