Best Mac Apps Caffeine
Prevent your computer from going to sleep
If you have problems with your PC locking or going to sleep, caffeine will keep it awake. It works by simulating a keypress once every 59 seconds, so your machine thinks you're still working at the keyboard, so won't lock the screen or activate the screensaver.
The icon is shown above - it's the leftmost one in the task tray, and this is all you see. Double-clicking the icon empties the coffee pot (that's what the icon is) and temporarily disables the program. Double-clicking it again refills the pot, and will keep your machine awake.
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- Command line switches added to terminate the app after x minutes, disable the app after x minutes, and enable or disable the currently running instance of the app. V1.20 - March 2008. Command line switches added to set the interval and to start disabled. Download Caffeine (x86 and x64).
- For me, Caffeine doesn’t quite cut it anymore and I don’t see any advantage to using it over Amphetamine, which I’ve been using happily for quite some time now. Pictured top of post: Caffeine for Mac in action. Do you know of other apps for keeping the Mac awake aside from Caffeine, Amphetamine and KeepingYouAwake?
By default the app starts enabled, and works every 59 seconds. There are some command line switches you can use to alter this behaviour:
xx- where xx is a number which sets the number of seconds between simulated keypresses. This must be the first text on the commandline-startoff- application starts disabled.-exitafter:xx- application will terminate after xx minutes-activefor:xx- application will become inactive after xx minutes-inactivefor:xx- application will become active after xx minutes-appexit- terminates current running instance of application-appon- makes the current running instance of the application active-appoff- makes the current running instance of the application inactive-apptoggle- toggles the running state of the current running instance of the application-apptoggleshowdlg- toggles the running state, and shows dialog-replace- closes the current running instance, replacing it-noicon- does not show a task tray icon-useshift- simulate the shift key instead of F15-showdlg- shows a dialog indicating whether caffeine is active-ontaskbar- show a task bar button (use with -showdlg)-allowss- prevent sleep, but allow the screensaver to start-key:xx- simulate using virtual key code xx
Note: the codes on the linked page are in Hex, convert them to decimal for use with this parameter-keypress- simulate a full key press, not just a key up event-oldicons- use more colourful tray icons-darkicons- use icons which work better for dark-on-light colour schemes-watchwindow:xx- active only when a window with xx in the title is found-activehours:....xxxxxxxx....- put 24 . or x characters - which indicate from hour 0 to hour 23 of the day. Caffeine will be active only in hours with an x
The Mac App Store has thousands of apps and choosing the best apps for Mac is tricky. You don’t want to end up with an app that doesn’t do what it claims to do. Fortunately, here we’ve put together a list of some of the best apps for Mac to narrow down your choices. Otter is the Mac app for the note taker who hates typing. It’s an intelligent voice-recognition system and note-taking app that will help you transcribe your conversations, keep notes during meetings, and even take contextual notes to yourself in your own time. Best of all, it’s free to get started! Download: Otter.
It's beautifully comprehensive, with wheels, sliders, palettes, crayons, swatches, and the amazing eyedropper tool, and it's supported throughout Cocoa apps on the Mac. Most Mac apps make use of a color well control somewhere in their UI, and you can drag and drop colors between apps, and even onto rich text in all system editors.
Compatibility
Caffeine works by simulating an F15 key up event every 59 seconds. Of all the key presses available, F15 is probably the least intrusive, and least likely to interfere with your work.
However, Caffeine might interfere with some apps:
- PowerPoint uses the F15 keypress to pause video in a slide
- Google Docs/Sheets
- Smartsheet
- Terminal emulation, e.g. Putty
If you think any of these might cause you a problem, set the -useshift command line parameter.
Video
Caffeine user humancar2n has put together a short YouTube video showing how the app works.
Mac version
Do you need this functionality on your Mac? Lighthead Software have written a separate app, also named Caffeine, which can help you out.
Versions
v1.90 - October 2020
-darkicons command line option added
-activehours command line option added
Tooltip replaced with a new one which works more reliably
Menu appearance updated
v1.81 - May 2020
Bug with the -watchwindow command line fixed
v1.80 - January 2020
v1.64 - September 2017
Option for old icons added, 'cos not everyone likes the new ones
v1.63 - February 2017
Icons updated slightly to show up better on a white background.
v1.62 - April 2016
New icons, designed by Rubén Gómez Radioboy
v1.61 - October 2015
Fixed bug with app not going active/inactive correctly when a timed period elapsedv1.60 - July 2013
New command line options:
-allowss-ontaskbar-apptoggleshowdlg-key:xx-keypress
Best Mac Apps Caffeine Without
Added menu items to go Active/Inactive
Type in About box corrected
/scannner-app-for-mac.html. -apptoggle will re-show the dialog if it was originally shown
v1.50 - November 2010
New command line options:
-inactivefor-showdlg-apptoggle
Simulated keypress changed from right context menu key to F15 as this is likely to be even less intrusive.
v1.40 - July 2009
New command line options:
-replace-noicon-useshift
Hovering over the tray icon now shows the status of the app
v1.35 - May 2009
Simulated keypress changed from shift to the right context menu key (at the suggestion of Kevin Kleinfelter) as this is likely to be less intrusive.
v1.30 - February 2009
Command line switches added to terminate the app after x minutes, disable the app after x minutes, and enable or disable the currently running instance of the app
v1.20 - March 2008
Command line switches added to set the interval and to start disabled
Download Caffeine (x86 and x64)
This app keeps your computer awake so that downloads and applications can run uninterrupted. This is a powerful tool that ensures your tasks don’t shut down while you’re away.
Prevent serious bugs
Amphetamine is the application equivalent to a caffeine boost for your Mac.
With this program, you can rest assured that your projects will finish without your constant supervision. Its main purpose is to avoid their spontaneous shutdown. You can opt to keep both your desktop and display awake, or you can use the advanced features to turn off your monitor or screen while your apps continue functioning in the background.
You can also set specific times on different days for the program to activate. Choose the moments you want your device to stay alert by customizing the schedule.
Caffeine App
Amphetamine overrides your Mac’s standard energy-saving feature. While you can modify this in the default settings on your device, it’s much easier to do so with this program’s interface.
There are no additional add-ons or pro versions; when you choose Amphetamine you automatically gain access to all of the features with no strings attached.
The application is straight-forward, and there are no hidden pop-ups or requests to review it. Sometimes these messages can cause issues with current processes, so it’s great that they’re not included.
The program supports AppleScript. The smart tool features an auto-end session, for when your battery power is running low.
There is an application named Caffeine, however funny it sounds. Amphetamine is similar, but with a few extras that make it the better choice. It’s especially great for programmers that might fall asleep during long work hours where an automatic sleep timer could ruin an entire project.
Where can you run this program?
The application requires OS X 10.11 and later.
Is there a better alternative?
No. There’s a very similar program, Caffeine, that offers similar features. Amphetamine, though, has regular updates and a simple interface.
Our take
If you’ve ever tried to work with the default settings on PCs and Macs, you know it’s often overly complicated. That’s where this app shines. It makes it easy to configure and modify when your device and specific apps will turn off.
Should you download it?
Yes. If you’re looking for an app that’ll make sure your programs stay awake, this is a great solution.
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