Keepresso

What it does

Keepresso is a native macOS menu-bar app that prevents your Mac from sleeping exactly when you need it to. It uses real macOS power assertions (not fake mouse jiggles) to keep the system awake during downloads, renders, AI agent runs, gaming sessions, remote work, and more. The app offers smart triggers, timed sessions, closed-display mode (lid closed without external display or power), a headless Mac toolkit, and a "Keep me active" feature that reports activity to macOS so remote-desktop sessions and chat apps see you as present. It is free, open source (GPL-3.0), and requires macOS 14+.

Who it is for

Keepresso is designed for Mac users who need their machine to stay awake for specific tasks without manual intervention. This includes:

• Developers and AI agent users: Agents like Claude, Codex, and Gemini can hold the Mac awake through bounded leases; the app detects when agents are actually working and lets the Mac sleep once idle.
• Gamers and streamers: Auto-detects Steam titles, cloud gaming clients (GeForce NOW, Boosteroid, Parsec, Moonlight, Shadow), and game controllers. Pauses AWDL (the Wi-Fi layer behind AirDrop) to reduce latency spikes.
• Remote workers: Keeps Teams, Slack, and VDI sessions active by reporting activity to macOS, preventing idle logouts.
• Headless Mac mini/Studio owners: Provides a guided setup checklist, an experimental HiDPI virtual display for crisp Screen Sharing, and tools to keep the machine awake without a monitor.
• Media creators and render farms: Long renders, exports, and builds run to completion without being cut short by sleep.

Why it matters

Macs increasingly run unattended—agents, builds, renders, local LLMs—and a Mac that dozes off mid-task is a cheap problem to fix but a costly one to ignore. Keepresso solves this with a native, low-overhead approach that respects macOS power management rather than fighting it. Its trigger engine lets users define precise conditions (e.g., stay awake only while charging, on a specific Wi-Fi, or while a certain app runs), so the Mac sleeps when it should and stays awake only when needed. The app is free and open source, with no license fees even for business use, making it accessible to everyone.

Launch signal

Keepresso launched on Product Hunt on [launch date not specified in evidence]. The Product Hunt page shows 57 followers and a tagline of "Keep your Mac awake, on your terms. Free and open source." The app is available via Homebrew (brew install --cask gyorgysh/keepresso/keepresso) or as a DMG download from the website. It is signed and notarized, with Sparkle-based auto-updates.

Brand and naming

The name "Keepresso" is a portmanteau of "keep" and "espresso," evoking alertness and energy—fitting for a tool that keeps your Mac awake. The domain is exact and easy to recall. The tagline and website clearly position it as a free, open-source Mac utility for managing sleep, with specific use cases like gaming and remote work, making its value proposition highly clear.