Download.
Open the ZIP and drag Caffeine Toggle into Applications. No Xcode or Terminal needed.
Caffeine Toggle for macOS
Close the lid.
Keep the work running.
A tiny native menu-bar app with an adorable coffee-cup Timer and four simple scheduling modes—so work stays alive exactly when you want.
No Xcode or Terminal needed. Download, unzip, and drag to Applications.
First launch: Control-click the app and choose Open. If macOS still blocks it, use System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway.
Apple Development-signed · Not notarized
Caffeinated
No timer running
2 hr
0 min
2:00:00
Remaining
Schedule enabled
One switch. Two honest states. Your schedule.
Full mug, awake Mac. Empty mug, normal sleep.
The mug sits directly in the menu bar beside your system controls. Left-click it for instant control; right-click it for the attached Timer and Schedule panel.
How it works
Native where you need it. Invisible when you don’t.
Fixed in version 3.0.1
One Time, Every Day, Weekdays, or Custom.
Pick a start and stop time, including overnight windows. Custom mode keeps your chosen weekday combination—even when its hours happen to match a preset.
Left-click to toggle.
The menu-bar mug changes immediately between empty and filled.
Right-click for more.
Open the directly attached panel for a one-off Timer or one of four Schedule modes.
Stay in control.
Turning Caffeine off pauses an active Timer. Turning it back on resumes from the same time and coffee level.
Awake means awake.
Never put a caffeinated Mac in a bag, sleeve, bed, or poorly ventilated space. Closed-lid AI workloads can generate substantial heat. Keep the Mac plugged in on a hard, open, ventilated surface.
Practical guides
Make the Mac stay awake on purpose.
Questions, answered
Before you close the lid.
Can a Mac keep running with the lid closed?
Caffeine Toggle combines a macOS power assertion with a clamshell-sleep override. When the full mug is on, active local work can continue after the display closes. Because the clamshell interface is private and unsupported by Apple, test it on your own Mac before relying on it.
Will Hermes, Claude, or terminal jobs keep running?
The Mac stays awake, so local agents, terminal commands, builds, downloads, and active network work can continue. A remote website or service may still apply its own timeout independently.
Does the display stay on?
With the lid open and Caffeine Toggle on, the current build prevents automatic display sleep. Closing the lid turns off the internal display; continued operation relies on a private, unsupported clamshell API and should be physically tested on your Mac before you rely on it.
Can I set a Timer for the next two hours?
Yes. Open Timer, enter 2 hours, and press Start Timer. The cup begins full, drains with the countdown, and empties when Caffeine turns off at zero.
Can I choose specific days and times?
Yes. Choose One Time, Every Day, Weekdays, or Custom. Custom supports any combination of Sunday through Saturday with an independent start and stop window for each selected day.
How is this different from Amphetamine?
Caffeine Toggle stays intentionally focused: one native menu-bar mug, an immediately understandable Timer, and straightforward schedules. Amphetamine remains the better fit for advanced triggers and extensive configuration.
How do I install it?
Download the ZIP, open it, and drag Caffeine Toggle into Applications. Version 3.0.1 is Apple Development-signed—not Developer ID-signed—and is not notarized, so Gatekeeper may reject a normal double-click. Control-click the app and choose Open; if macOS still blocks it, use System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway.
Let the Mac close.
Let the task finish.
Free, open source, and built for the long-running work that shouldn’t stop when your screen does.
Apple Development-signed · Not notarized · First launch may require Control-click → Open