iPhone companion now on the App Store
Close the lid. Keep going.
AfterLid is the app that helps keep your Mac awake while you check in from your phone. AfterLid helps keep your Mac available for downloads, builds and local agent work, within battery, thermal and time limits. Keep it on a firm, ventilated surface.
Download first. Create an account to connect your phone.
- Runs locally on your Mac
- Built for long-running work
- Guarded by safety limits
Long-running work
Running locally
Awake
Keeps the Mac and display awake while the lid is open. Turn the display off manually and work continues.
Large downloads✦
Local renders✦
Dev servers✦
Backups✦
Remote access✦
AI agents✦
Large downloads✦
Local renders✦
Dev servers✦
Backups✦
Remote access✦
AI agents✦
Turn the display off while your work keeps going.
Awake keeps your Mac and display awake while the lid is open. Turn the display off manually and your work continues.
Closing the lid normally puts the Mac to sleep. Choose Always On when you need work to continue with the lid closed and the display off.
Three honest states
Exactly as awake as you need.
Click a state to see it in the live panel above.
One power companion, many jobs
Whatever your Mac is finishing.
AfterLid manages the Mac’s availability. It does not need to understand or take over the work itself.
- Downloads and transfers Keep big files and uploads moving while you’re away.
- Renders and exports Let video, 3D, and export jobs finish without a screen on.
- Dev servers and builds Keep local servers, builds, and containers alive and reachable.
- Backups and maintenance Let scheduled syncs and housekeeping tasks run uninterrupted.
- Existing remote access Stay reachable through your own remote-access or desktop tools.
- Local AI agents Featured use case Continue long-running models and tools with provider insights when connected.
Not “awake at all costs”
AfterLid knows when to stop.
Always On is session-based, deliberately limited, and designed to return your Mac to normal sleep when a boundary is reached.
Normal
Thermal state
Live safety condition
Safe to continue.
macOS thermal state is checked throughout every guarded session.
Battery aware
Slows down before your battery gets uncomfortably low.
Heat aware
Backs off if your Mac starts running hot.
Fail-safe
If anything looks wrong, AfterLid lets your Mac sleep rather than risk it.
Time boxed
Every session has a built-in limit, so nothing runs all night by accident.
AFTERLID PRO
Raj’s MacBook Pro
Always On
6h 42m remaining
86% battery
Thermal state · Normal
GUARDED SESSION
Local work is still running
⌂Home
◫Activity
◌Usage
•••More
Change Mac power mode
Mac is healthy
Mobile companion · Free + Pro
Your Mac is at home. You’re still in the loop.
Check your Mac’s status from anywhere, including battery, heat, and current mode. Free lets you watch. Pro lets you switch modes remotely too.
- 01 See mode, battery, and thermal status at a glance
- 02 Switch between Sleepy, Awake, and Always On remotely
- 03 View usage from providers connected on your Mac
- 04 Create and inspect character packs
Create characters · Pro
Make every state your own.
Create or import character packs with matching animations for Sleepy, Awake, and Always On. Characters already saved on your device remain available on Free.
Provider connection disclosure
AfterLid only reads usage. Provider tokens may allow more.
You sign in on the provider’s official page. The returned credential stays on this Mac in Keychain, and AfterLid does not send it to AfterLid’s servers or your phone.
AfterLid’s own network calls only check plan usage, such as token or context limits. The connection is not used to send prompts, run commands, or change settings.
Experimental · provider approval pending
Some provider credentials can technically do more than check usage. AfterLid only exercises the usage check, never the rest. Gemini stays disabled until AfterLid has its own Google OAuth client and completes any required review.
Simple boundary
Mac safety is free. Remote control is Pro.
Free includes every Mac safeguard and read-only status on your paired phone.
AfterLid Free
Free
Keep local work moving.
- Sleepy, Awake, and Always On
- Battery, thermal, heartbeat, and time safeguards
- iPhone app to check live Mac status
- One provider usage connection
- Use characters already saved on your device
AfterLid Pro
Pro access
Carry the control panel.
- Everything in Free
- Remote mode control
- All supported provider usage connections
- Create and import character packs
- Seven-day full-access trial for eligible accounts
Straight answers
Before you trust it with a long run.
AfterLid changes how your Mac sleeps, so the boundaries should be easy to inspect before you switch it on.
Built and maintained by Raj Sajnani Founder, Just A Dev Company · Bengaluru, India hello@afterlid.comWhat is AfterLid?
AfterLid is a native Mac menu-bar app that keeps downloads, renders, backups, dev servers, remote-access sessions, and local AI work running under explicit power and safety limits. It manages your Mac’s availability; it does not run or take over the work itself.
What happens when I close my MacBook lid?
In Sleepy or Awake, closing the lid keeps normal Mac sleep behavior. Choose Always On before closing the lid when local work must continue with the display off. Battery, thermal, heartbeat, and session limits remain active.
What is the difference between Awake and Always On?
Awake keeps the Mac and display awake while the lid is open; you can turn the display off manually. Always On is the guarded mode for continuing local work with the lid closed and display off.
Can Always On run indefinitely?
No. An Always On session ends after eight hours, at 30 percent battery while unplugged, under serious or critical thermal pressure, or if the app heartbeat disappears. AfterLid then restores normal sleep behavior.
Does AfterLid upload my work or provider credentials?
Work runs on your Mac and provider credentials stay there. Enabled Activity features relay sanitized status and supported approval details, which can include bounded file changes for review. Redaction cannot guarantee that arbitrary code contains no sensitive data.
What is included in Free and Pro?
Free includes all three Mac modes, every Mac safeguard, one provider usage connection, saved characters, and read-only iPhone status. Pro adds remote mode control, all supported provider connections, and tools to create or import character packs.
AfterLid is available now
Get AfterLid for Mac and iPhone.
The iPhone companion is available on the App Store. Install AfterLid on your Mac, then sign in with the same account on both devices and approve the Mac link.
Set up your iPhone companion
- 1Install AfterLid from the App Store
- 2Install AfterLid on your Mac
- 3Sign in and link both devices
The iPhone app is available on the App Store. Download the Mac app without an account. Create an account to connect your phone. No card needed. Privacy details