🤖 Android tooling
Keep your Mac awake while Android Studio works
A clean Gradle sync, a full build, and the indexing pass that follows can outlast your display-sleep timer. AwakeMate keeps the Mac awake while Android Studio is running so none of it gets interrupted.
Free 14-day trial · one-time $39.99 · no telemetry · macOS 13+
When your Mac sleeps mid-Android Studio
You kick off a Gradle sync and a full build, then step away to read the spec. Ten minutes later the Mac has dozed off and the build is still grinding - or worse, the run-on-device step never fired because the machine slept. Long indexing passes after a dependency bump are just as easy to lose.
AwakeMate keeps it awake while Android Studio runs
AwakeMate recognises Android Studio by its process name studio, on-device, with no permissions. Because an open IDE alone should not pin your Mac awake forever, Android Studio is opt-in: switch it on and AwakeMate holds the machine awake the whole time the IDE is running.
Detected process: studio
Tip: leave "Sleep when tools go idle" off
Leave idle-sleep off for Android Studio. An open IDE spends long stretches waiting on you between builds, and you want the Mac awake through syncs, builds, and indexing - not dropping out the moment Gradle finishes a task.
Get the most out of it
- Android Studio is off by default. Add
studioto your watched tools so just opening the IDE doesn't hold the Mac awake unless you want it to. - Pair it with adb if you run on a physical device - that keeps the Mac awake through the install-and-launch step too.
More questions about Android Studiotap to expand
Why isn't Android Studio detected automatically?
Always-on IDEs are opt-in on purpose. If every open editor held your Mac awake, it would never sleep. Add studio to your watched tools and AwakeMate takes over from there.
Will it keep my Mac awake during a long Gradle build and the indexing afterwards?
Yes. With idle-sleep left off, AwakeMate keeps the Mac awake the entire time studio is running, so a Gradle sync, a full build, and the indexing pass that follows all complete uninterrupted.
Does this change my energy settings?
No. AwakeMate uses the same gentle IOKit power assertion as macOS's caffeinate - it prevents idle sleep only and never touches your Energy Saver settings. There's no telemetry; it reads only the short process name on-device.
What's the best way to keep my Mac awake while Android Studio runs a long build?
Add studio to AwakeMate's watched tools and let it run. From then on it spots Android Studio automatically and holds the Mac awake the whole time the IDE is open - no command to remember, no babysitting a Gradle sync. When you quit the IDE, the Mac is free to sleep again on its own.
Should I just use caffeinate or set my Mac to never sleep instead of an app?
You can - caffeinate in Terminal, or Battery set to "Never", will both keep the Mac awake. But they're manual and all-or-nothing: you have to remember to start them before a build and stop them after, and they pin the Mac awake for everything, not just Android Studio. AwakeMate ties the awake state to the IDE actually running, so it's automatic and scoped - and it leaves your saved Energy Saver settings untouched.
Why does my Mac keep falling asleep while Android Studio is building?
macOS counts idle by keyboard and trackpad input, not by what a background process is doing - so a long Gradle build or indexing pass with no input trips the idle-sleep timer. AwakeMate watches for studio and holds an IOKit assertion (the same kind caffeinate uses) that prevents idle sleep while the IDE runs, so builds and indexing finish even when you step away.
Will it keep my Mac awake for Android Studio with the lid closed, even on battery?
Yes. Turn on "Keep awake with the lid closed" in Settings - Options and approve the one-time helper; AwakeMate then keeps the Mac awake with the lid shut while Android Studio runs, and dims the built-in screen so it is not draining the battery under the lid. It works on most Apple Silicon Macs (Apple forces sleep on some, so close your lid once to confirm). It works on battery too, but real work drains it faster, so keep it on power for long runs. See how it works.