Apple Explains How to Keep Your Mac From Turning on When Opening Lid

[Dave-Z]

What's the use case for opening the laptop and not wanting it on?

Several.

One being setting it up for the next day at a desk.

Another is once while I was moving the laptop around I've accidentally opened the lid just a little bit and caused the computer to wake, but I didn't realize this and just closed it and put it away. Came back days later to find an empty battery because apparently it doesn't go to sleep during a cold boot cycle.

 

[piatigorsky]

What's the use case for opening the laptop and not wanting it on?

If I just want to clean the screen or keyboard, for example.

Or if I'm reading a physical copy of a journal paper, I want to prop it up to read, but just happen to not have anything better on hand to do so.

Or if I'm in a library at a large table with someone at the seat opposite mine, and I just want some sort of visual barrier in between us so I can better concentrate on my reading.

I've come across all these use cases multiple times as a grad student. I'm sure there's plenty of others as well.

 

[Itinj24]

The thumbnail for this article should have most certainly been the pic of Federighi opening the MacBook. Huge missed opportunity lol.

 

[sani_atl]

is there a way to keep the lid close but still stream to Apple TV?

 

[JudgeErnie]

I guess this won't work for my 2017 MacBook which is on Ventura.

There is sudo nvram AutoBoot=%00 but I don't know how safe that is.

This is a setting for Apple Silicon based Macs. Intel based devices do not have this option, the processors lack this ability.

Steve Jobs released the Macintosh in 1984 with a GUI so users wouldn't ever have use a command prompt. But here we are 41 years later in 2025, and under Tim Cook's so-called "leadership," users have to use a command prompt.

Jobs should have never made Cook CEO. Jobs should have made Scott Forstall CEO.

Forstall was responsible for leading the development of Mac OS X (and iOS). If Clueless Cook hadn't fired Forstall, Forstall would've still been at Apple. The absurd situation of users having to use a command prompt in 2025 for basic functionality would've never happened if Forstall was still in charge of Mac OS.

Maybe of Scott owned up to the mistakes with Apple Maps, he might still be with the company. But no, Scott's not there, dropping his skeuomorphic design for the 'flat' interface has improved performance of the OS. Steve make the right choice. And I'm sure that it wasn't just Steve making it, so you can stop trying to blame him.

I want to charge my MacBook but I don’t want to use it

Have you not heard of Power Nap? Go read up on what happens when your Mac is "asleep."

If I'm opening my MacBook it's because I want to use it. If it's off it has to turn on. Why would anyone want to modify this? It's less wear and tear on a button.

I am sure there are reasons to open the device and not have it turn on. But think about it, you have the choice make this change. By using the terminal, you are actively making this adjustment knowing what it will do, not accidently having a checkbox clicked by a young kid who doesn't know what it means.

 

[JudgeErnie]

Flippin’ ’eck, what is this, Linux?

You must be new to the Mac and macOS. Go check out NeXTSTEP first...

 

[EugW]

This is a setting for Apple Silicon based Macs. Intel based devices do not have this option, the processors lack this ability.

My Intel MacBook turns on when I open the lid. The code I posted is apparently for Intel Macs. According to this article, it's a different command for Apple Silicon Macs.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I open it when I want to use it. But then I don’t have obsession with my laptops or devices with fringe cases.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Feels almost passive aggressive to allow this, tell one how to do it (in Terminal), but not put the time in to make it a SysPref setting (like it should be)

"Thanks" .. I guess?

 

[Astuces iOS]

If I'm opening my MacBook it's because I want to use it. If it's off it has to turn on. Why would anyone want to modify this? It's less wear and tear on a button.

Yeah, I agree but there is ONE EXCEPTION : IF YOU WANT TO CLEAN YOUR MACBOOK! Lol

 

[speedyraf]

I'd like to see this as an option in Settings as I'm not one of those people comfortable with Terminal

 

[johnsawyercjs]

What's the use case for opening the laptop and not wanting it on?

Several (though maybe not many), but here are two of my favorites: placing reminder Post-Its for later in the day, or next morning, onto the palmrests; retrieving said Post-Its later to add something to them before needing to use the Macbook again.

But then again, this isn't a big deal for me since I very rarely shut off my Macbook, so when I open the display lid and put Post-Its on the palmrests, I'm just waking it, so it doesn't play a startup chime, and it goes back to sleep when I close the display lid. But I can imagine some people wanting to be able to do this when the Macbook is shut off, in a room where someone is sleeping, and not wanting to wake them. I know the Sound prefpane has a switch to control whether a sound is played on startup/powerup, but not everyone will have turned this off.

 

[SanderEvers]

Now I want a setting for my M4 Mac Mini to auto turn on when it receives power. (power is controlled by a powerstrip) It would basically be the same as turn on when charging on a MacBook. But sadly it doesn't work this way.

 

[Naraxus]

Steve Jobs released the Macintosh in 1984 with a GUI so users wouldn't ever have use a command prompt. But here we are 41 years later in 2025, and under Tim Cook's so-called "leadership," users have to use a command prompt.

Jobs should have never made Cook CEO. Jobs should have made Scott Forstall CEO.

Forstall was responsible for leading the development of Mac OS X (and iOS). If Clueless Cook hadn't fired Forstall, Forstall would've still been at Apple. The absurd situation of users having to use a command prompt in 2025 for basic functionality would've never happened if Forstall was still in charge of Mac OS.

As usual you're completely wrong. Forstall was not, I'll repeat it again for those in the back, NOT in charge of Mac OSX. As I said to you before that honor goes to Bertrand Serlet

"Serlet was the former Senior Vice President of Software Engineering at Apple Inc., where he worked from 1997 to 2011.[3] He succeeded Avie Tevanian in the position in July 2003.[4] In this position he was primarily responsible for the release of Mac OS X (including 10.4 Tiger, 10.5 Leopard and 10.6 Snow Leopard).

Bertrand Serlet - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[saadi_k]

Is there possibly a YouTube tutorial on how to properly do this for someone who is not familiar with using terminal?

 

[mrr]

Why is there not a simple setting under display setting?!!!

 

[PowerMacBook]

Now explain why it does turn on when I press any key lol (WHY DOES APPLE NEEDS TO EXPLAIN LOL)

I can't find the any key

 

[Cameront9]

Is there possibly a YouTube tutorial on how to properly do this for someone who is not familiar with using terminal?

It's super easy to do if you follow the steps outlined in the article. To open Terminal just hit cmd+Space to open spotlight and type Terminal. Then copy whichever code you are wanting to run and press enter. It will ask for your password. That's your computer's login password, NOT your Apple ID Password. Type that in (The cursor will not move as you type). Then hit enter. That's all there is to it. As I said you can just copy and paste the code, you don't need to type it.

 

[tennisproha]

And why could this not be a preference setting?

Along with returning the scheduling of wake and sleep times, something that was there since the dawn of time

 

[fbr$]

What's the use case for opening the laptop and not wanting it on?

Cleaning the keyboard and/or screen is a good example.

 

[ThomasJL]

As usual you're completely wrong. Forstall was not, I'll repeat it again for those in the back, NOT in charge of Mac OSX. As I said to you before that honor goes to Bertrand Serlet

"Serlet was the former Senior Vice President of Software Engineering at Apple Inc., where he worked from 1997 to 2011.[3] He succeeded Avie Tevanian in the position in July 2003.[4] In this position he was primarily responsible for the release of Mac OS X (including 10.4 Tiger, 10.5 Leopard and 10.6 Snow Leopard).

Bertrand Serlet - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

No, I'm right. Here's proof from Wikipedia:

Forstall joined Steve Jobs's NeXT in 1992 and stayed when it was purchased by Apple in 1997. Forstall was then placed in charge of designing user interfaces for a reinvigorated Macintosh line. In 2000, Forstall became a leading designer of the Mac's new Aqua user interface, known for its water-themed visual cues such as translucent icons and reflections, making him a rising star in the company. He was promoted to SVP in January 2003.[4][7] During this period, he supervised the creation of the Safari web browser. Lisa Melton, a senior developer on the Safari team, credited Forstall for being willing to trust the instincts of his team and respecting their ability to develop the browser in secret.[8]

[...]

In 2006, Forstall became responsible for Mac OS Xreleases after Avie Tevanian stepped down as the company's Chief Software Technology Officer and before being named SVP of iPhone Software.[4][11][12][13][14] Forstall received credit as he "ran the iOS mobile software team like clockwork and was widely respected for his ability to perform under pressure".[15]

Source:

Scott Forstall - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[madcount]

What's the use case for opening the laptop and not wanting it on?

Cleaning the keyboard without having the machine freak out?

 

[nutriousmitten]

Those who remember BASIC this seems as intuitive as Load "*",8 then RUN

as opposed to Load "*",8,1

Baffling that you can turn on such frivouls functions and features but something useful you have to open up a CMD line equivalent and put in a couple lines of code.

 

[RedWeasel]

And why could this not be a preference setting?

They've switched preferences to use SwiftUI, so cut them some slack and give them some time to implement this.

 

[ThomasJL]

Cleaning the keyboard without having the machine freak out?

That's a good point. Even after going through the hassle of using a command prompt to disable the Mac laptop from turning on when opening the lid, will it still turn on if any key on the keyboard is pressed? If so, it shows even more of Tim Cook's cluelessness and lack of attention to detail.

Since Cook removed the Status Indicator Light (SIL), when the screen is off, it's impossible to know whether the Mac is on or off. While that is bad, a workaround to know whether the Mac is on or off could've been to press any key on the keyboard to see if the screen turns on or not. But that cannot be done now because if the Mac is off, pressing any key to test whether the Mac is on or off will turn on the Mac again.

This sort of immense lack of attention to detail would've never happened if Steve Jobs was still CEO, or if Jobs had made Scott Forstall CEO. Forstall was known for his extreme attention to detail, which even went as far as keeping a jewelers' loupe on his desk so he could mangify and closely inspect each pixel of the skeuomorphic designs of software made by people working under him.