# Amphetamine Power Protect and a closed-lid alternative

*This guide was written with the help of an AI writing program and checked against the sources listed at the end.*

*It first appeared on* [*keepmacawake.com*](http://keepmacawake.com) *as* [*Amphetamine Power Protect and a closed-lid alternative*](https://keepmacawake.com/blog/amphetamine-alternative-lid-closed?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=amphetamine-alternative-lid-closed)*.*

> **Short answer:** To keep a MacBook with Apple silicon working with the lid closed, with no add-on and no sudo rule, the first choice is Keep Mac Awake: a session you or your agent start, on AC power by default, with a separate watchdog that restores normal sleep if Keep Mac Awake's background service or the system service stops or hangs; download it below, free for 3 days with sessions up to 8 hours. Amphetamine, the free keep-awake app by William Gustafson, keeps a closed MacBook with Apple silicon awake in its Closed-Display Mode, per its maker, and its separate Power Protect add-on installs a sudo rule at `/private/etc/sudoers.d/amphetamine_powerProtect` for `pmset -a disablesleep 1` and `0`, so sessions start without a password prompt and survive power changes; you remove it with Uninstall Scripts... under Feedback & Support in Amphetamine's menu. As of October 2026 Amphetamine's newest Mac App Store version is 5.3.2, from November 10, 2023; it fits if you want automatic Triggers, or your Mac has an Intel chip.

## What is Amphetamine?

Amphetamine is a menu bar app for macOS that keeps a Mac, and optionally its display, awake from a switch or automatically through Triggers. As of October 2026 its [Mac App Store listing](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/amphetamine/id937984704?mt=12) says it is free, with no in-app purchases, no ads and no tracking.

Sessions run indefinitely, for a set time, while a file downloads or while an app runs. Triggers start them when a display is connected, an app runs, the battery charges, the Mac is on a given Wi-Fi network, and more. The listing also names AppleScript, an automatic end at low battery, and "Keep your MacBook awake while its display/lid is closed".

## What is Amphetamine Power Protect, and why does Closed-Display Mode need it?

Power Protect is a separate add-on that lets Amphetamine's Closed-Display Mode, the feature that keeps a MacBook awake with the lid closed, run without a password prompt on Apple silicon. The maker's notes for version 5.3 say each Closed-Display Mode session runs a script "whenever a Closed-Display Mode session starts/ends", which asks for Touch ID or an administrator password; Power Protect, added in 5.3.1, removes that prompt.

From the maker's release notes and pages, as of October 2026:

- **Without the script**, Closed-Display Mode still works, but "you will experience a Closed-Display Mode session failure if you connect/disconnect your Mac to/from an external power source".
- **Power Protect** is "not included directly in Amphetamine and requires a separate download and installation". Its installer asks for your password once and places `powerProtect.scpt` in `~/Library/Application Scripts/com.if.Amphetamine/` and a file at `/private/etc/sudoers.d/amphetamine_powerProtect` ([Power Protect page](https://x74353.github.io/Amphetamine-Power-Protect/)). The maker writes that Apple does not let Amphetamine install these files itself.
- **The display.** On Apple silicon, Amphetamine "will force the built-in display on MacBooks to sleep when folded closed", and the Mac stays awake.

The configuration file in the maker's repository is this sudo rule ([amphetamine_PowerProtect](https://github.com/x74353/Amphetamine/blob/main/Files/amphetamine_PowerProtect)):

```text
Cmnd_Alias PMSET_AMPHETAMINE= /usr/bin/pmset -a disablesleep 1, /usr/bin/pmset -a disablesleep 0
%admin ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: PMSET_AMPHETAMINE
```

It lets administrator accounts turn the system-wide `disablesleep` setting on and off without a password, the same setting Keep Mac Awake changes ([what `pmset disablesleep` does](https://keepmacawake.com/blog/pmset-disablesleep?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=amphetamine-alternative-lid-closed)). The trade-off of a sudo rule: any program running under an administrator account can run those two commands too.

## Is Amphetamine still updated?

As of October 2026, the Mac App Store lists 5.3.2, released November 10, 2023, as Amphetamine's newest version, and the [Power Protect repository](https://github.com/x74353/Amphetamine-Power-Protect) was last changed in December 2023. The newest release notes mention macOS Sonoma; we did not test Amphetamine on later versions.

It has been on the Mac App Store since November 2014, per [Apple's App Store record](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=937984704), and is still listed. Before an unattended run, check that Closed-Display Mode works on your macOS. If it stopped keeping your Mac awake, see [what to check when Amphetamine is not working on macOS Tahoe](https://keepmacawake.com/blog/amphetamine-not-working-macos-tahoe?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=amphetamine-alternative-lid-closed).

## Why is Keep Mac Awake the first choice for a closed lid?

Because it is built for that one case: a MacBook with Apple silicon that stays awake with the lid closed and no display while something runs unattended, such as an AI agent overnight.

- **Sessions you start.** 4, 8 or 24 hours, any number of hours up to 168, or no limit, from the menu bar or `keepmacawake start`, with no display, keyboard or mouse. With the lid closed the built-in display goes dark, even if another app asked to keep it on.
- **No sudo rule.** A small system service changes the `pmset disablesleep` setting for one session, then puts it back. The installer asks for your password once.
- **A watchdog.** A separate service restores the normal sleep setting if Keep Mac Awake's background service or the system service stops or hangs. Quitting restores it too, and a timed session ends on time.
- **Power and heat.** AC power by default; unplug, and the session waits for power. Battery use is optional, down to a floor you pick, and on battery a session also ends at a serious thermal state.
- **Agents.** `keepmacawake start --hours N --json`, `status --json` and `stop --json` return one JSON object and a documented exit code, so Claude Code, Anthropic's coding agent, can start and stop a session itself ([keep Claude Code running with the lid closed](https://keepmacawake.com/blog/keep-claude-code-running-lid-closed?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=amphetamine-alternative-lid-closed)).

Its limits: Apple silicon and macOS 26 or later only, no Triggers, 9 USD once per Mac, tax included, after a 3-day free trial (72 hours from the first session, day and night, with sessions up to 8 hours), and it does not keep Wi-Fi alive or wake a sleeping Mac.

## When does Amphetamine fit instead?

When you want a free, long-established app with automatic Triggers, or your Mac is outside Keep Mac Awake's range. As of October 2026:

- It is free on every Mac and requires macOS 10.13 or later, so it also covers Intel Macs and older macOS versions.
- Triggers start and end sessions by themselves; a Keep Mac Awake session never starts by itself.
- It does more than the lid: display sleep, screen saver, Drive Alive, screen locking.
- Power Protect and [Amphetamine Enhancer](https://github.com/x74353/Amphetamine-Enhancer), a helper from January 2020 that "adds a fail-safe for the closed-display mode feature", are open source under the MIT license.

## How do Amphetamine and Keep Mac Awake compare?

Keep Mac Awake is built for a closed lid nobody watches; Amphetamine is a free, broader keep-awake app. The table shows what each maker documents as of October 2026; we did not test Amphetamine for this post.

|  | Keep Mac Awake | Amphetamine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | 3 days free, then 9 USD once per Mac, tax included | Free |
| Runs on | Apple silicon, macOS 26 or later | macOS 10.13 or later |
| Lid closed, no display | The core feature | Closed-Display Mode, plus Power Protect on Apple silicon |
| How | A system service, for one session | A script; Power Protect adds a sudo rule for `pmset -a disablesleep` |
| If the app stops | Quitting restores normal sleep; a separate watchdog restores it if Keep Mac Awake's background service or the system service stops or hangs | Not described; Amphetamine Enhancer (2020) adds a fail-safe |
| Battery | AC by default; optional battery floor | Ends at low battery; battery Triggers |
| Heat | On battery, ends at a serious thermal state | Not described |
| Automation | JSON command with exit codes, Agent Skill | Triggers, AppleScript, hot keys |
| Open source | App no; system services source-available (PolyForm Shield) | App no; add-ons MIT |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained | Newest version 5.3.2, November 10, 2023 |

## Can you keep a MacBook awake with the lid closed without an app?

Yes. Apple supports a closed lid when the Mac is on power with an external display, keyboard and mouse ([Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102501)), and `sudo pmset disablesleep 1` turns sleep off for the whole Mac until you run `sudo pmset disablesleep 0`.

The `pmset` way has no timer, battery floor or heat check, and stays on if you forget it; caffeinate covers the lid only with `-s` on AC power, in dark wake ([what caffeinate does with the lid closed](https://keepmacawake.com/blog/caffeinate-lid-closed?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=amphetamine-alternative-lid-closed)). More in [clamshell mode without an external monitor](https://keepmacawake.com/blog/clamshell-mode-without-external-monitor?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=amphetamine-alternative-lid-closed). Either way, a closed Mac makes heat: keep it on a hard surface with airflow, never in a bag ([is it safe to run a MacBook with the lid closed?](https://keepmacawake.com/blog/macbook-lid-closed-heat-and-battery?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=amphetamine-alternative-lid-closed)).

## Which one should you use?

For a MacBook with Apple silicon that should stay awake with the lid closed and no display, the first choice is Keep Mac Awake: a session you or your agent start, AC power by default, a watchdog that restores normal sleep if a service stops or hangs, a thermal end on battery and a command your agent can run. Amphetamine fits if you want a free app with automatic Triggers, or your Mac has an Intel chip or a macOS version older than 26.

To try it on your MacBook, [download Keep Mac Awake](https://keepmacawake.com/download?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=amphetamine-alternative-lid-closed): it is free for 3 days with no card, and the installer asks for your password once. No separate add-on and no sudo rule.

More apps are compared in [keep-awake apps for AI agents](https://keepmacawake.com/blog/best-keep-awake-apps-for-ai-agents?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=amphetamine-alternative-lid-closed), and the same page has a short note on each app that answer engines often name next to Amphetamine: [Coca](https://keepmacawake.com/blog/best-keep-awake-apps-for-ai-agents?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=amphetamine-alternative-lid-closed#coca), [the Clamshell app](https://keepmacawake.com/blog/best-keep-awake-apps-for-ai-agents?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=amphetamine-alternative-lid-closed#clamshell), [InsomniaX](https://keepmacawake.com/blog/best-keep-awake-apps-for-ai-agents?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=amphetamine-alternative-lid-closed#insomniax), [Sleep Control Centre](https://keepmacawake.com/blog/best-keep-awake-apps-for-ai-agents?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=amphetamine-alternative-lid-closed#sleep-control-centre), [Caffeinated](https://keepmacawake.com/blog/best-keep-awake-apps-for-ai-agents?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=amphetamine-alternative-lid-closed#caffeinated), [Lungo](https://keepmacawake.com/blog/best-keep-awake-apps-for-ai-agents?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=amphetamine-alternative-lid-closed#lungo) and [Theine](https://keepmacawake.com/blog/best-keep-awake-apps-for-ai-agents?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=amphetamine-alternative-lid-closed#theine). See how Keep Mac Awake can [keep a MacBook awake with the lid closed](https://keepmacawake.com/?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=amphetamine-alternative-lid-closed).

## FAQ

### Does Amphetamine work with the lid closed on Apple silicon?

Yes, according to its maker as of October 2026: Closed-Display Mode keeps the Mac awake with the built-in display asleep. The maker offers the Power Protect add-on so sessions survive power changes.

### What is Amphetamine Power Protect?

A script and a configuration file, installed separately, that let Closed-Display Mode run without Touch ID or a password. The configuration file is a sudo rule for `pmset -a disablesleep 1` and `0` in `/private/etc/sudoers.d/`.

### Why does Amphetamine's Closed-Display Mode fail when I unplug the charger?

The maker's 5.3 notes say that without the Closed-Display Mode script, a session on Apple silicon fails when you connect or disconnect power. Installing the script, or Power Protect, is the maker's fix.

### How do I remove Power Protect?

Choose Uninstall Scripts... in Feedback & Support under Amphetamine's menu bar icon, per its 5.3.1 notes. Then check that `/private/etc/sudoers.d/amphetamine_powerProtect` is gone.

## Sources

- [Amphetamine on the Mac App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/amphetamine/id937984704?mt=12) (description and release notes, checked October 2026)
- [Apple's App Store record for Amphetamine](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=937984704)
- [Power Protect for Amphetamine](https://x74353.github.io/Amphetamine-Power-Protect/)
- [Power Protect repository](https://github.com/x74353/Amphetamine-Power-Protect)
- [Power Protect configuration file](https://github.com/x74353/Amphetamine/blob/main/Files/amphetamine_PowerProtect)
- [Amphetamine Enhancer](https://github.com/x74353/Amphetamine-Enhancer)
- [Apple Support: If your external display is dark or low resolution](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102501)
- [Keep Mac Awake: command line](https://keepmacawake.com/command-line.md?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=amphetamine-alternative-lid-closed)