🎯 Cross-platform tooling
Keep your Mac awake while Dart compiles
AOT compiles, build_runner codegen, and dart test all push the CPU for a stretch. AwakeMate keeps the Mac awake while dart is busy and sleeps once it's finished.
Free 14-day trial · one-time $39.99 · no telemetry · macOS 13+
When your Mac sleeps mid-Dart
A dart compile exe or a heavy build_runner pass can run long enough that your Mac's idle timer trips first. Sleep mid-compile and you lose the run; sleep mid-codegen and you come back to half-generated sources.
AwakeMate keeps it awake while Dart runs
AwakeMate recognises the Dart toolchain by its process name dart, on-device, with no permissions. With Deep CLI detection on by default, a globally activated Dart command line tool is still read by its real name rather than a generic wrapper.
Detected process: dart
Tip: turn on "Sleep when tools go idle"
Turn idle-sleep on for Dart. Compiles and codegen are CPU-bound, so AwakeMate holds the Mac awake while dart is doing the work and lets it sleep the instant the job is done - no awake time left hanging around.
Get the most out of it
- Best paired with idle-sleep on: the Mac stays up through the compile and drops to sleep right after build_runner finishes.
- Building a Flutter app on top of Dart? Watch flutter too so the higher-level build is covered as well.
More questions about Darttap to expand
Will my Mac stay awake through a long build_runner pass?
Yes. AwakeMate keeps the Mac awake while dart is using the CPU, so codegen and AOT compiles finish without the machine dropping to sleep.
Is 'sleep when idle' a good fit for Dart?
Yes. Dart compiles are CPU-bound, so the option keeps the Mac awake during the work and lets it sleep as soon as dart goes quiet - ideal for one-shot compiles and codegen.
Does AwakeMate send anything about my builds anywhere?
No telemetry. It reads only the short process name dart on-device, using the same gentle IOKit assertion as caffeinate, which prevents idle sleep only and never changes your energy settings.
What's the best way to keep my Mac awake while the Dart toolchain compiles?
Add dart to AwakeMate's watched tools. It picks up AOT compiles, build_runner codegen and dart test automatically and holds the Mac awake while the work runs, then lets it sleep once the job is done. No caffeinate wrapper to type around each command - it just tracks the process.
Is it worth an app over caffeinate or pmset for Dart compiles?
caffeinate or a pmset tweak can keep the Mac awake, but both are manual and all-or-nothing: you trigger them yourself and they hold the whole Mac awake until you undo them, with no sense of when dart actually finishes. AwakeMate automates that per tool - awake while Dart compiles, asleep right after - and never rewrites your Energy Saver configuration the way pmset does.
Why does my Mac keep sleeping during a heavy build_runner codegen pass?
A long build_runner or dart compile pass runs with no keyboard or trackpad input, and that's all macOS checks for idle - so it sleeps and you come back to half-generated sources. AwakeMate keeps the Mac awake while dart is using the CPU, so codegen and AOT compiles run to completion unattended.
Will it keep my Mac awake for Dart 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 Dart 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.