Keep your screen awake
What AwakeTab does
AwakeTab uses the browser's Wake Lock API while this tab is visible, and its status only says the screen is awake after the browser confirms the lock. Pick a duration — 15 min to 4 h, Custom… up to seven days, or Until… a clock time — and the display stops dimming, sleeping and showing the lock screen. The pill reads Screen awake only while the browser is actually holding the lock. Hide this tab and the browser takes the lock back, so the pill switches to Paused — tab hidden and the timer stops until you come back.
There is no account, no download and no extension needed: the whole tool is this page. Settings, the current session and seven days of stats stay in this browser. Nothing is sent unless you leave the optional usage beacon on. This page loads no third-party scripts or web fonts, so it stays fast on a phone and works offline after the first visit. The header offers Install AwakeTab if you want it on a home screen or dock; the installed app can chime and notify when a session ends.
How it works
- You pick a duration. A preset, a custom length or a clock time starts a session. The same choices are one keypress: 1–6 for presets, 0 for no end time, U for a clock time and Space to start or stop.
- The browser is asked for a screen wake lock. AwakeTab calls the Screen Wake Lock API — the same mechanism a video player uses. The browser can accept, refuse, or take the lock back later; all three answers are shown as they happen.
- The timer follows the lock, not the clock. The countdown runs only while the lock is held, and every calculation uses system time, so a laptop that was suspended comes back with an honest number. When the time is up you get a chime and the choice to extend or stop.
A lock has exactly seven states, and the pill names the one you are in. That is the point: a status you can trust.
- Ready
- Nothing requested yet. Pick a duration to start.
- Starting…
- The request is in flight; the browser has not answered.
- Screen awake
- The browser confirmed the lock. Only now does the timer run.
- Paused — tab hidden
- The tab lost focus, so the lock was taken back. AwakeTab asks again when you return.
- Blocked — here's the fix
- The request was refused — usually battery saver. The panel names the cause and the fix.
- Tap to use the fallback
- No Wake Lock API here; a fallback is offered instead.
- Awake via video fallback
- A silent one-frame video is holding the display, at a higher power cost.
Honest limits
Browser and device support
Native support means the browser implements the Screen Wake Lock API. Where it is missing, a silent one-frame video loop is offered after one tap. Rows come from the same data file the rest of the site reads.
| Browser or context | From version | Mechanism | Platforms | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome | 84 | Native wake lock | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, ChromeOS | The tab must remain visible. Battery Saver may deny or release the lock. |
| Edge | 84 | Native wake lock | Windows, macOS | The tab must remain visible. Efficiency mode may affect the lock. |
| Firefox | 126 | Native wake lock | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | Earlier versions use the video fallback after a user gesture. |
| Safari | 16.4 | Native wake lock | macOS, iOS, iPadOS | Low Power Mode can prevent a wake lock. The tab must remain visible. |
| Samsung Internet | 14 | Native wake lock | Android | Power-saving settings may deny or release the lock. |
| Opera | 70 | Native wake lock | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | Chromium-based support; the tab must remain visible. |
| iOS Home Screen app | 18.4 | Native wake lock | Any | Older versions should use AwakeTab in Safari. |
| Video fallback | Any | Video fallback | Any | Requires a user gesture and uses more power than a native wake lock. |
Last verified: 9 September 2026
Below these versions AwakeTab shows Tap to use the fallback and offers the fallback. Per-version detail lives in the learn hub.
Pick the guide for what you are doing
Cooking, a talk, a long download, a wall dashboard: each has a sensible duration and its own honest limit, so each gets a page with the tool already set up.
- Keep the screen on while cooking
- Keep the screen on during a presentation
- Keep the computer awake while downloading
- Keep a wall dashboard on
- Run a night clock on an OLED screen
- Keep the screen on during a video call
Keep your screen awake for a task lists all eighteen scenarios.
Your device, specifically
Wake locks differ on iPhone, a managed Chromebook and a Windows laptop in battery saver. These pages name the versions we tested and the settings that override AwakeTab.
- Keep an iPhone screen on in Safari
- Keep an Android screen on in Chrome
- Keep the screen on in Windows 11
- Prevent Mac display sleep in a browser
- Keep a Chromebook screen on
- Keep the screen on in Firefox
Use AwakeTab on your device covers twelve browsers and platforms.
When something else is the better tool
AwakeTab is instant and installation-free — and a native utility beats it when the screen must stay on with the browser out of sight. Comparisons use dated facts.
Compare screen-awake tools has all seven comparisons.
Or fix the setting itself
Sometimes the real answer is a system setting. These walkthroughs show where the timeout lives, what to do when it is greyed out, and when AwakeTab is faster.
- Windows 11 screen turns off after 1 minute
- iPhone Auto-Lock “Never” is greyed out
- Prevent a Mac from sleeping with the lid closed
Wake lock troubleshooting guides collects the operating-system fixes, and Learn about screen wake locks goes under the hood.
Questions we are asked most
Does it still work if I switch tabs or minimise the window?
No. The browser releases the lock when the document is hidden. AwakeTab pauses and re-requests when the tab is visible again. For a display behind other windows, use the extension or the Floating window.
Will it keep my laptop awake with the lid closed?
No, and neither will any other web page. Lid-close behaviour is an OS decision. Change it in power settings, attach an external display, or use a native tool.
Does it keep Teams or Slack showing me as available?
No. Presence follows keyboard and mouse idle time, not a lit display. AwakeTab never sends synthetic input. A green dot is a conversation with your employer, not a browser tab.
Does it stop the whole computer from sleeping, or only the screen?
The screen is the guarantee. Idle system sleep is a separate policy: Chromium on Windows deferred it in our tests, macOS did not. For a machine awake with the display off, use a native utility.
Why does my iPhone lock the screen anyway?
Low Power Mode forces a 30-second Auto-Lock. Turn it off in Settings → Battery. Safari needs iOS 16.4; a Home Screen app needs iOS 18.4. Below those, AwakeTab offers the video fallback.
What is the video fallback, and when does it run?
A silent one-frame loop so the browser treats media as playing. It runs only when there is no Wake Lock API, and only after you tap. The pill says Awake via video fallback.
How much battery does it use, and can I leave it running overnight?
The lock costs almost nothing; the lit screen drains the battery. Plug in, dim the display, and consider night clock mode on OLED. On Chromium, Stop automatically on low battery ends the session before the battery gets low.
Is it free, and what happens to my data?
Free, no sign-up. Settings, session and stats stay in this browser — no cookies, no fingerprinting. The optional first-party beacon sends no identifiers and can be turned off. No ads on this screen, now or later.
The rest of AwakeTab
- About AwakeTab and how it is tested — who maintains the project.
- Changelog — what shipped recently.
- Privacy — local storage, optional telemetry and the no-ads rule for this screen.