Caffeinefor Mac

Caffeine for Mac is a simple app designed to do one thing and one thing only. When active, Caffeine will prevent your computer from dimming the screen, enabling screensavers, or hibernating. This function is useful in a variety of situations, and Caffeine's simplicity makes it ideal for users that need to keep their computer as awake as they are.

A cup of coffee for your computer

This app keeps your Mac awake with one simple click.

After a simple install, Caffeine's icon is added to your menu bar. From there, clicking will activate the app. Caffeine will then keep your computer awake until you click the icon again to turn it off. It performs its task without frills, and is great for keeping your Mac active during long Netflix binges, study sessions, or presentations. For users that like more control, Caffeine's sub-menu allows you to set a time frame for Caffeine to stay active. This can range from as little as 5 minutes to indefinitely.

Though Caffeine is an excellent program, users should be aware that the app's background RAM usage may affect performance at times. If you don't take advantage of the app's customization options, you could also find the small icon on the toolbar forgettable, making it easy to leave the app running unintentionally. Caffeine also has no way of preventing your computer from sleeping when it's physically closed, so if you have to do so for whatever reason you'll need to reactivate the app when you open your computer again.

Where can you run this program?

You can run Caffeine on any computer working with Mac OS X 10.5.

Is there a better alternative?

While it shines because of its simplicity, there are a few Caffeine alternatives that allow for a more in-depth experience. Amphetamine has a more detailed user interface and more features. KeepingYouAwake also functions the same, but also has the added benefit of being Open Source.

Our take

Caffeine is a bare-bones program that works exactly as designed, and is perfect for keeping your computer awake.

Should you download it?

Caffeine is worth downloading whether you're a professional using your Mac for long workdays and presentations, or a more casual user streaming movies and having marathon gaming sessions.