Keep Your Mac Awake Now with the Amphetamine Mac App
Despite its name, Amphetamine is a macOS utility that prevents your Mac from sleeping rather than a stimulant. The app works by toggling your system’s sleep and screen saver settings through a simple menu bar switch or customizable triggers. Users benefit from uninterrupted downloads, long renders, and reliable presentations without manually changing energy settings. You can activate it with a single click, schedule sessions, or tie it to specific apps and conditions.
Understanding the Amphetamine Utility for macOS
Understanding the Amphetamine utility for macOS begins with recognizing it as a menu-bar app that prevents your Mac from sleeping, and its practical value lies in precise, session-based control. Launch the amphetamine mac app, then trigger a session from the menu bar or via a keyboard shortcut rather than enabling indefinite sleep blocking by default. Configure session duration, allow display sleep while keeping the system awake, and tie activation to triggers like an external display or specific app. Always verify the session end condition—such as duration expiry or app closure—before starting long renders or downloads. For repeatable workflows, create named sessions and assign hotkeys, keeping the Amphetamine utility for macOS predictable and scoped.
What This Menu Bar Tool Actually Does
The Amphetamine menu bar tool provides quick, one-click control over your Mac’s sleep and display behavior without opening System Settings. Clicking its icon reveals a small panel where you can start or end a session, choose a duration, or keep the Mac awake indefinitely. It also offers options to prevent the display from sleeping, allow screen saver activation, and trigger sessions automatically when specific apps are running. A right-click on the menu bar icon exposes additional toggles for fast access. The tool confirms active sessions with a filled icon, so you can verify at a glance that your Mac will stay awake for the task at hand.
The menu bar tool gives you immediate, glanceable control over sleep prevention: start or stop sessions, set durations, keep the display awake, and automate activation based on running apps, all without leaving your current workflow.
Core Features at a Glance
Core Features at a Glance in Amphetamine center on keeping a Mac awake under precisely defined conditions rather than a single on/off toggle. Session triggers and duration controls let you start an indefinite session, set a timer, or tie wakefulness to a specific app, window, or drive activity. The menu bar icon provides quick-start options, while the customizable hotkey and session-end notification support rapid control. Advanced routines activate sessions on schedule, and the assertion-based approach allows granular control over display sleep versus system sleep. Each element is designed for immediate, predictable access.
How do app-based triggers work in Amphetamine? They keep the Mac awake only while a chosen app is running, ending the session automatically once that app quits.
How It Differs from Built-in Energy Saver Settings
Amphetamine goes far beyond the limited scope of macOS Energy Saver settings, which only delay display and system sleep on a fixed schedule. Unlike the built-in preferences, Amphetamine’s custom assertion controls let you keep specific system services awake—such as the display, disk, or network—independently and on demand. Energy Saver offers no per-app triggers, no session-based overrides, and no quick toggle from the menu bar. Amphetamine also supports conditional activation through triggers like app launches, Wi-Fi networks, or time ranges, something Energy Saver cannot do. Where Energy Saver applies broad, static rules, Amphetamine provides granular, context-aware control that adapts to how you actually work.
Installing and Setting Up the App
To install Amphetamine for Mac, download the official DMG from the Mac App Store or the developer’s site, open it, and drag the app into your Applications folder. Launch the app once, then approve the system prompt to allow it under Accessibility and Notifications in System Settings; this is essential for Amphetamine Mac installation to control sleep behavior reliably. Open Preferences to configure launch-at-login, default session duration, and menu bar icon visibility. For setting up Amphetamine sessions, create a trigger such as a keyboard shortcut or app launch, then test it by starting a short session and confirming the display stays awake.
Downloading from the Mac App Store
To obtain Amphetamine through Apple’s official distribution channel, open the Mac App Store from the Apple menu or Launchpad and sign in with your Apple ID. Enter “Amphetamine” in the search field and select the app by its recognizable pill icon to avoid similarly named copycats. Click the download button and authenticate with Touch ID or your password if prompted; the app installs automatically into Applications. Confirm compatibility with your macOS version on the product page before downloading, and verify that the listing shows the correct developer to ensure you receive the genuine build.
- Search for “Amphetamine” and match the pill icon and developer name.
- Check the stated macOS requirement on the product page.
- Authenticate the download with your Apple ID credentials.
- Confirm installation completes in Applications before launching.
Granting Necessary Permissions
When you first launch Amphetamine, macOS will prompt you to approve a few access requests, and handling them correctly is the key to a smooth setup. Granting necessary permissions mainly involves allowing notifications so the app can alert you before a session ends, plus Accessibility access if you want to use the “Allow system sleep when display is off” triggers reliably. If you dismiss a prompt by accident, don’t worry—the app simply won’t function fully until you revisit System Settings > Privacy & Security and toggle the switch yourself. Take a minute to walk through each request as it appears, and you’ll avoid mid-session surprises later.
Q: What happens if I deny a permission? A: Amphetamine still opens, but features tied to that permission—like session notifications—stay inactive until you re-enable them in System Settings.
First Launch Walkthrough
On first launch, Amphetamine presents a guided walkthrough that introduces its core controls before you can configure sessions. The walkthrough opens with a brief overlay highlighting the menu bar icon, then prompts you to grant the required accessibility permissions so the app can detect idle states and prevent sleep reliably. You are then asked to choose whether sessions start manually or activate on launch, followed by a quick demonstration of starting, pausing, and ending a session. Completing the walkthrough writes your initial preferences and dismisses the overlay; you can replay it later from Settings if needed.
- Grant accessibility permissions when prompted to enable idle detection.
- Select manual or automatic session start behavior.
- Practice starting, pausing, and ending a session in the demo step.
- Replay the walkthrough anytime from Settings.
Key Functionality and Options
Amphetamine for Mac centers on a simple toggle that keeps your Mac awake, but its real utility lives in the options you can configure. You can set an activation duration from 15 minutes up to indefinitely, or trigger the app automatically when specific conditions apply. The trigger options let you keep the Mac awake based on app activity, CPU usage, network traffic, or even a connected display. You can also enable session-based rules for specific apps, choose whether the display stays on or just the system, and set a default start behavior. A handy detail is the option to auto-activate when a chosen app launches, making the whole thing feel hands-off.
Keeping Your Mac Awake Indefinitely
To keep your Mac awake indefinitely in Amphetamine, enable a session and then choose the Indefinite session duration option rather than a fixed timer. Start the session, open the duration menu, and select the indefinite setting so the Mac stays awake until you manually end it. Optionally enable “Allow session to continue on battery power” if the Mac must remain awake without a charger. Verify the session is active from the menu bar icon, and end it manually when finished to restore normal sleep behavior.
Timed Sessions and Duration Controls
When you don’t want your Mac to stay awake forever, Amphetamine’s timed sessions have your back. You can set a session to run for a specific duration, like 30 minutes or a couple of hours, and the app automatically ends it when the clock runs out. The duration controls are super flexible too, letting you pick exact timeframes or trigger sessions to stop at a certain time of day. If plans change, extending or ending a session early is just a click away, so you’re never stuck waiting for a timer.
Display Sleep Versus System Sleep
Here’s the deal with Amphetamine: keeping your Mac awake isn’t a single switch. Display sleep versus system sleep are two separate things you can control independently. If you only prevent display sleep, your screen stays lit but background tasks like downloads or renders keep running—and the Mac can still idle into system sleep under the right settings. Flip on the system sleep prevention instead, and the whole machine stays awake whether or not the screen is on. In Amphetamine, you choose which one you need: screen-only for reading or presentations, full system for long jobs. Match the option to the task and you’ll save power without losing progress.
Trigger-Based Activation Sessions
Trigger-Based Activation Sessions let you bind Amphetamine to specific conditions so your Mac stays awake exactly when it matters. You can define sessions that start automatically when a chosen app launches, a drive mounts, or a network connects, then end cleanly when that trigger disappears. This removes the need to remember manual toggles before a long render, download, or presentation. Configure each session with its own duration, allowed endings, and display-sleep behavior for precise control.
- Start sessions on app launch, disk mount, or network join
- Pair every trigger with a matching end condition
- Set per-session duration and display-sleep rules
- Stack multiple triggers for layered automation
Advanced Configuration Tips
When I first set up Amphetamine on my Mac, the default settings got me by, but digging into the advanced options changed everything. Open the app’s preferences and enable “Allow session to start automatically when the app launches” so your Mac stays awake the moment you log in. Use the trigger-based activation feature to tie sessions to specific apps, Wi-Fi networks, or even a connected external display, so Amphetamine wakes only when you actually need it. You can also configure custom duration presets instead of relying on the defaults. Just remember that a trigger attached to a frequently toggled app can quietly keep your display awake far longer than you intended, so audit your triggers periodically. Finally, enable the menu bar countdown so you always know exactly how much session time remains.
Customizing Session Defaults
If you use Amphetamine for the same tasks over and over, setting up custom session defaults saves you from reconfiguring everything each time. Open Preferences and head to the Sessions tab, where you can define a default duration, pick whether the session ends by timer or by app trigger, and pre-select options like allowing display sleep or keeping the Mac awake with the lid closed. These defaults apply automatically to new sessions, but you can still override any of them on a per-session basis without touching your saved configuration. It’s a small setup investment that makes daily use feel way smoother.
- Set a default session duration so quick sessions start with your preferred timer
- Choose default trigger behavior, such as ending when a specific app closes
- Pre-enable display sleep or closed-lid options you use most often
- Keep overrides temporary so your defaults stay intact
Using Keyboard Shortcuts Efficiently
In Amphetamine, assign a global toggle shortcut via Preferences so you can start or end a session without breaking focus. Use keyboard shortcut efficiency to bind session activation to a key you already reach instinctively, avoiding cursor travel to the menu bar. Create separate shortcuts for duration-based sessions and indefinite sessions, since a single toggle forces menu navigation mid-task. Global shortcuts only fire when explicitly enabled, so verify the toggle after each macOS update. Combine shortcuts with trigger-based automation to reduce manual presses during recurring workflows.
- Set one global shortcut for quick session toggling.
- Use distinct shortcuts for timed versus indefinite sessions.
- Audit shortcut bindings after system updates.
Managing Drive and Network Access Settings
When configuring Amphetamine to keep your Mac awake during long file transfers or remote sessions, pay close attention to how the app interacts with mounted drives and network volumes. In Amphetamine’s preferences, enable the option to allow sleep only when specific drives are unmounted, ensuring your external disks finish syncing before the system rests. For network access, grant Amphetamine the necessary permissions under System Settings > Privacy & Security, and verify that managing drive and network access settings includes toggling “Prevent sleep while network activity exceeds” with a sensible threshold. Use disk arbitration awareness to avoid ejecting volumes mid-task, and test your configuration with a short session to confirm drives stay mounted and network shares remain reachable.
Managing drive and network access settings in Amphetamine ensures your Mac stays awake precisely while external disks and network volumes are active, preventing interrupted transfers and dropped connections.
Automating Behavior with Triggers
Automating Behavior with Triggers in Amphetamine turns your Mac into a context-aware machine that stays awake exactly when needed—no manual toggling. Set a trigger so the app activates whenever a specific external drive mounts, a particular Wi-Fi network connects, or a designated app launches, then configure it to end the session automatically once that condition disappears. Combine multiple triggers for layered control, such as keeping the display on only while a backup runs over your office network. Trigger-based automation eliminates forgotten sessions and wasted power, making every wake cycle purposeful. Use conditional triggers to match your real workflow rather than guessing at durations.
Q: Can multiple triggers work together in one session? Yes—Amphetamine lets you stack triggers so a session starts only when all defined conditions are met and ends when any one of them stops, giving you precise, hands-off control.
Practical Use Cases
You’re rendering a 4K video export at 2 a.m., and your Mac keeps dozing off mid-render—until you fire up Amphetamine and flip on an indefinite session. That’s the everyday magic: keeping the machine awake while long downloads, backups, or software builds grind away unattended. Students use it to stop the display from dimming during online exams, presenters keep it alive through slideshows, and remote workers prevent sleep so file transfers or SSH sessions don’t drop.
The real insight: Amphetamine’s triggers let you automate wakefulness—tying it to a specific app, drive, or network so you never have to remember to toggle it manually.
Set it once, and your Mac stays ready exactly when the task needs it.
Long Downloads and File Transfers
When you’ve got a massive download or a slow file transfer running, Amphetamine is a lifesaver because it keeps your Mac awake until the job is done. You can set a duration-based session to match the expected download time, or trigger a session that stays active as long as data is moving across your network. If you’re pulling files from a slow server or transferring a huge backup, the app’s trigger options let you tie sleep prevention to specific conditions, so your Mac won’t doze off mid-transfer and break the connection.
- Start a timed session before kicking off a big download or upload.
- Use a trigger to keep the Mac awake while network activity continues.
- Set the session to end automatically once the transfer finishes.
Presentations and Media Playback
When running slideshows or full-screen video, Amphetamine can be configured to keep the display and system awake so playback is not interrupted by idle sleep. Use an app-specific trigger tied to presentation software or a media player, so the session activates automatically when that app launches and ends when it closes. For long videos or lecture decks, enable display sleep prevention during media playback to avoid the screen dimming mid-session. Combine this with a timed session as a fallback in case the trigger app crashes. Keyboard shortcuts allow quick manual activation before a talk begins.
Remote Access and Server Tasks
When you need to reach a home or office machine from another location, Amphetamine can keep the Mac awake so remote access and server tasks remain available without sleep interruptions. Start a session before connecting via SSH, VNC, or screen sharing, and the Mac stays reachable for the duration of the work. For long file transfers, backups, or scheduled scripts running on the host, enabling the app prevents idle sleep from cutting the connection mid-task. You can trigger it manually before leaving or pair it with a trigger such as an active network connection, then stop the session once the remote work finishes.
Keep the Mac awake during remote sessions and server operations so SSH, VNC, transfers, and scripts complete without sleep-related disconnects.
Rendering and Compiling Workflows
When you rely on Amphetamine to keep a Mac awake during long renders or compiles, the app’s session controls directly support uninterrupted rendering and compiling workflows. Start an indefinite session before launching Final Cut, Xcode, or a Blender bake so the display and system stay active through the entire job. Because Amphetamine triggers on system wake and idle states rather than app-specific hooks, it protects the whole pipeline without needing per-application configuration. A practical sequence keeps jobs predictable:
- Launch Amphetamine and start a session set to stay on until manually ended.
- Begin your render or compile and confirm the progress indicator is advancing.
- End the session only after the export or build completes and files are verified.
Performance and Battery Considerations
Amphetamine’s impact on system performance depends largely on which features you enable and how aggressively they are configured. Keeping the Mac awake with the display on consumes noticeably more power than allowing the screen to sleep while preventing system sleep, so choose the latter when battery life matters. Preventing idle sleep is lightweight, but triggers such as keeping apps running in the background or simulating user activity can increase CPU wakeups and drain power faster. On battery, avoid indefinite sessions and use timed or trigger-based activation instead. If fans spin up or the Mac runs warm during long sessions, disable display-wake options and close unnecessary background processes to reduce the app’s energy footprint.
Impact on Power Consumption
Keeping a Mac awake with Amphetamine directly increases power draw because the display and system sleep states that normally conserve energy are suppressed. Enabling display sleep prevention is the single largest contributor to higher wattage, since an active screen can multiply consumption compared to a sleeping one. Allowing the display to sleep while keeping the system awake dramatically reduces this impact. Short, task-specific sessions consume far less power than indefinite activation, and triggering Amphetamine only when needed avoids unnecessary drain. On battery, expect faster depletion proportional to how much you prevent sleep, so choose the minimal trigger that keeps your task running.
Q: Does Amphetamine significantly drain battery? It does when it blocks display sleep; limiting activation to system-only wake keeps the impact modest.
Best Practices for Laptop Users
Laptop users running Amphetamine should adopt best practices for laptop users to balance session persistence with battery health. Prefer session-based activation over indefinite “start immediately” triggers so the Mac can sleep normally when unplugged. Enable “allow display sleep” while keeping system awake only when background tasks demand it, and use the battery-level trigger to end sessions automatically at a safe threshold. Disable Amphetamine when running on battery for nonessential work, and pair long sessions with a charger to avoid deep discharges. Periodically audit active sessions to prevent forgotten assertions that drain power.
Q: How should laptop users configure Amphetamine to protect battery life? Use session-based triggers, allow display sleep, set a battery-level cutoff, and reserve indefinite sessions for plugged-in scenarios.
Balancing Convenience with Hardware Health
Amphetamine’s convenience features—triggered sessions, closed-display mode, and automatic activation—can keep a Mac awake indefinitely, but sustained wakefulness accelerates battery cycling and raises thermal load on components that rely on passive cooling. To balance convenience with hardware health, enable automatic session termination so triggers expire after a defined interval rather than running until manually stopped. Pair this with battery threshold rules that prevent activation below a set charge level, avoiding deep discharges during unplugged use. Use closed-display mode sparingly and only with adequate ventilation, since clamping the lid traps heat against the display assembly. Scheduled triggers tied to active tasks, rather than always-on defaults, preserve responsiveness while limiting unnecessary wear on the battery and thermal system.
Privacy, Security, and Reliability
When you install Amphetamine on your Mac, the app runs entirely on-device, meaning your session settings and schedules never leave your machine.
Because it requests no network permissions by default, there is no telemetry channel through which usage data could leak.
It relies on standard macOS APIs like IOKit power assertions rather than kernel extensions or privileged helpers, keeping its attack surface minimal and avoiding the need for elevated permissions. For reliability, it survives sleep/wake cycles and restarts by reasserting its session state, but note that a forced shutdown or macOS update can silently end an active session, so verify the toggle after major system changes. Keep it updated through the App Store to receive security patches promptly.
Data Handling and Permissions
Amphetamine stores its settings locally, so your session preferences and schedules stay on your Mac rather than being uploaded to a remote server. The app does not request access to your files, camera, microphone, or contacts, keeping its permission footprint minimal. Its main system-level requirement is the ability to prevent sleep, which macOS manages through user-granted settings you can review or revoke at any time. Because data handling and permissions remain local and limited, there is no account creation or cloud sync involved. To confirm what the app can access, check System Settings under Privacy & Security and review Amphetamine’s entries.
Q: Does Amphetamine send my data anywhere?
A: No. Its preferences and session data are stored locally on your Mac, and the app does not transmit usage information to external servers.
Stability Across macOS Versions
Amphetamine maintains consistent stability across macOS versions by relying on supported system frameworks rather than private APIs that break with OS updates. The app generally works reliably from older releases through current macOS builds, though users on the newest versions should verify compatibility after major upgrades. Session persistence and wake assertions typically continue functioning without requiring reinstallation or reconfiguration. Because macOS updates can occasionally alter power management behavior, testing your preferred settings after each upgrade helps confirm the app still behaves as expected. Keeping Amphetamine updated ensures fixes for version-specific issues are applied promptly. Overall, the app is designed to deliver predictable, uninterrupted performance regardless of which supported macOS version you run.
Community Reputation and Updates
Because Amphetamine’s functionality depends on sustained macOS permissions and background operation, its community reputation and update transparency matter more than for typical utilities. Users on forums and GitHub track whether updates preserve existing settings, avoid introducing new access requests, and promptly address regressions that affect reliability. A trustworthy update history shows consistent behavior across macOS releases and clear changelogs that explain security-relevant changes. Reputation here is cumulative: one silent permission change can erode years of user trust faster than any feature addition can rebuild it. Practical users should verify recent release notes and community reports before updating, and prefer builds with documented fixes over unverified forks.
Community reputation hinges on transparent, consistent updates that preserve permissions and settings, so users should check release notes and forum feedback before installing new versions.
Alternatives and Comparisons
When evaluating alternatives to Amphetamine for Mac, compare built-in options like Energy Saver’s “Prevent computer from sleeping automatically” and the caffeinate command-line tool against Amphetamine’s richer feature set. Amphetamine surpasses caffeinate by offering a menu bar interface, scheduled sessions, and trigger-based activation, whereas caffeinate suits scripted, terminal-driven workflows. Third-party rivals such as KeepingYouAwake provide a simpler toggle but lack Amphetamine’s granular session controls and app-specific triggers. For users needing conditional automation, Amphetamine’s trigger system is unmatched among free alternatives. Battery-awareness settings in Amphetamine also outperform basic keep-awake utilities that ignore power state. Choosing the right alternative depends less on raw functionality than on whether you value menu-driven convenience or minimal terminal overhead. Test each option against your actual workflow before committing, since lightweight tools often suffice for occasional use.
Built-in Caffeinate Command Line Tool
Compared with the Amphetamine Mac app’s graphical interface, the built-in caffeinate command line tool offers a lighter, scriptable way to prevent sleep without installing anything. While Amphetamine provides session presets and visual controls, caffeinate relies on flags such as -d, -i, and -t to block display or system sleep for set durations. A typical workflow is:
- Open Terminal.
- Run caffeinate -i -t 3600 to keep the system awake for one hour.
- Append & to background the process or press Control-C to end it early.
This makes caffeinate practical for quick tasks, but it lacks Amphetamine’s triggers and menu bar feedback.
Other Menu Bar Utilities
If Amphetamine’s keep-awake toggle isn’t quite your vibe, plenty of other menu bar utilities can cover similar ground or complement it. Coffee lets you set timed sleep prevention with a simple click, while KeepingYouAwake offers a lightweight caffeinate wrapper. For more control, Jiggler simulates mouse movement, and Caffeine (the classic) still works for quick toggles. You can even run several side by side, but keep an eye on menu bar clutter and overlapping triggers. Amphetamine’s advantage is its granular settings, so try the alternatives if you want something simpler or extra features like scheduled sessions or visual indicators.
Q: Can I use Amphetamine alongside other menu bar utilities without conflicts?
Usually yes—just avoid enabling two sleep-prevention tools at once, since they may fight over the same system assertion.
When a Third-Party Solution Makes Sense
Choose a third-party alternative to Amphetamine when your workflow demands capabilities the native app does not provide, such as scheduled wake timers, conditional triggers based on Wi-Fi or app activity, or granular per-display sleep control. A third-party solution makes sense when you need automation rules that react to system events rather than simple duration-based sessions, or when you require menu bar indicators with richer status feedback across multiple Macs. If you routinely manage presentations, long renders, or remote sessions where Amphetamine’s single-session model feels limiting, a dedicated utility with advanced scheduling and trigger logic will save time and reduce manual intervention. Evaluate third-party options when built-in features force workarounds you repeat daily.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
If Amphetamine fails to keep your Mac awake, first check that the app has the necessary permissions in System Settings > Privacy & Security, since missing accessibility or automation access is a frequent culprit. Quick fix: toggle the “Allow system sleep” session off and back on to reset the assertion. When sessions end unexpectedly, verify no conflicting energy-saving apps or MDM profiles are overriding sleep settings. If the menu bar icon disappears, relaunch the app or re-add it to login items. Q: Why does my session stop when I close the lid? A: Enable “Allow closed-display mode” in preferences and ensure a power adapter is connected, as clamshell mode requires external power on most Macs.
Sessions Ending Unexpectedly
When sessions end unexpectedly in Amphetamine, the app’s session timer is usually being overridden by macOS power management rather than failing to activate. Unexpected session termination often occurs because the “Allow system sleep when display is closed” setting conflicts with closed-lid use, causing the session to drop the moment the Mac sleeps. Check that no scheduled sleep or Energy Saver trigger fires during an active session, and confirm the app retains the required accessibility or automation permissions after updates. If sessions stop after a fixed interval, verify no competing utility is asserting its own sleep assertion. Restarting the app and re-enabling the session typically clears a stale assertion state.
App Not Appearing in the Menu Bar
If Amphetamine’s icon vanishes from the menu bar, first check whether the app is still running by opening Activity Monitor and looking for the process. Sometimes macOS hides menu bar items when space runs low, so quit a few other menu bar apps and see if the icon reappears. Also verify in Amphetamine’s settings that the “Show in Menu Bar” option hasn’t been toggled off. Restarting the app after changing this setting often resolves the issue when the toggle appears enabled but the icon still won’t show. If nothing works, log out and back in, then relaunch Amphetamine to refresh its menu bar registration.
Q: Why did my Amphetamine icon suddenly disappear from the menu bar?
A: It’s usually a hidden setting or a crowded menu bar—check the app’s preferences and close other menu bar items first.
Conflicts with Other Power Management Tools
When Amphetamine fails to keep your Mac awake, a conflict with another power management tool is often the hidden culprit. Utilities like caffeinate, KeepingYouAwake, or vendor apps from peripherals can compete for the same sleep-prevention assertions, causing one tool to override the other. To resolve this, first quit all other wake-management apps and background agents, then test Amphetamine alone. Next, check Login Items and launch agents for duplicates that reactivate at startup. Finally, re-enable tools one at a time to identify the offender. Running two sleep-blockers simultaneously rarely works—choose a single manager and disable the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Users seeking help with Amphetamine on Mac typically turn to the app’s Frequently Asked Questions section for quick answers about keeping their display awake, activating sessions, and troubleshooting unexpected sleep behavior. The FAQ addresses common setup questions, such as how to enable the app at login or configure triggers for automatic activation. Users often ask whether Amphetamine prevents all sleep or only display sleep, and the FAQ clarifies that default sessions keep the display awake while deeper system sleep settings require specific configuration. Additional entries cover keyboard shortcuts, notification preferences, and what happens when a session ends or the battery runs low. The FAQ also explains how to adjust session durations and resolve conflicts with macOS energy settings, giving users practical guidance without needing to contact support.
Is It Free to Use?
Amphetamine for Mac is completely free to download and use, with no hidden fees, subscriptions, or premium tiers locking away core features. You get the full set of wake-assurance tools—including session triggers, duration controls, and icon customization—without ever entering payment details. The free Amphetamine Mac app delivers its entire feature set at no cost, so you can keep your Mac awake whenever needed without worrying about trials or upsells. There is no account creation or license key required to start using it. Simply download, launch, and activate your first session immediately.
Amphetamine is fully free to use on Mac—no payments, subscriptions, or premium unlocks required for any feature.
Does It Work on Apple Silicon Macs?
Yes, Amphetamine runs natively on Apple Silicon Macs, including M1, M2, M3, and M4 models. The app is a universal binary, so it takes full advantage of the performance and efficiency of Apple’s chips without relying on Rosetta translation. Users on macOS Sonoma and Sequoia report that session keeps, triggers, and menu bar controls all behave exactly as expected. If you’re switching from an Intel Mac, your settings and preferences carry over smoothly. Just make sure you’re running a recent version for the best Apple Silicon compatibility. In short, there’s nothing extra to configure—download it and it works.
Amphetamine is fully compatible with Apple Silicon Macs, running natively as a universal binary with all features working as intended.
Can It Prevent Screensaver Activation?
Yes—Amphetamine is built specifically to stop your Mac’s screensaver from activating, and it does so reliably as long as the app is running and a session is active. You can toggle “Allow Screensaver” off in preferences or simply start a session; either way, preventing screensaver activation becomes automatic without touching System Settings. The app overrides the idle timer that normally triggers the screensaver, so your display stays exactly as you left it. If the screensaver still appears, confirm the session is active and that “Allow display sleep” is also disabled, since display sleep can mimic screensaver behavior.
How to Fully Quit or Uninstall
To fully quit Amphetamine, click its menu bar icon and choose Quit Amphetamine; amphetamine app if the icon is hidden, use Activity Monitor to find the Amphetamine process and force quit it. Before quitting, disable any active sessions and turn off “Launch at login” in the app’s preferences so it does not restart automatically. To uninstall Amphetamine completely, quit the app first, then drag it from Applications to the Trash and empty the Trash. Remove leftover preference files by searching Library folders for “Amphetamine” and deleting associated plists and support files, then restart your Mac to confirm it no longer launches or runs in the background.
