🐘 Build tool
Keep your Mac awake during Gradle builds
Gradle builds chain through configuration, compilation, resource processing and tests, often for several minutes. AwakeMate keeps your Mac awake from the first task to the last.
Free 14-day trial · one-time $39.99 · no telemetry · macOS 13+
When your Mac sleeps mid-Gradle
A cold ./gradlew assembleRelease or a full check works through dozens of tasks - compiling Kotlin and Java, merging resources, running unit tests - with long CPU-bound stretches and no input. macOS sleeps in the middle of a task, the Gradle daemon is interrupted, and the next run can't reuse a clean build cache. You lose the whole pass.
AwakeMate keeps it awake while Gradle runs
AwakeMate recognises Gradle by its process name, gradle, which covers wrapper invocations like ./gradlew and the long-lived Gradle daemon. It needs no plugin and no permissions - it sees the process and keeps the Mac up.
Detected process: gradle
Tip: turn on "Sleep when tools go idle"
Gradle work comes in CPU-heavy bursts between tasks. With idle-sleep on, AwakeMate holds the Mac awake while Gradle is building and lets it sleep once the build exits. Because the Gradle daemon can linger, idle-sleep is the better fit here so a finished build doesn't keep the Mac up.
Get the most out of it
- The Gradle daemon stays resident between builds. Idle-sleep lets the Mac sleep during those idle gaps and wake the assertion on the next real build.
- Running Android builds from Android Studio? Add the studio process too, since some tasks run inside its own JVM.
More questions about Gradletap to expand
Does it work with the Gradle wrapper and the daemon?
Yes. Both surface under the gradle process name, so wrapper builds and daemon-backed builds are recognised.
Will the lingering daemon keep my Mac awake forever?
No. With idle-sleep on, AwakeMate only holds the Mac awake while Gradle is actually using the CPU, so an idle daemon won't block sleep.
Does it change my power settings?
No. It uses the same IOKit power assertion as caffeinate, blocking idle sleep only and leaving your energy preferences untouched.
What's the best way to stop my Mac sleeping during a long Gradle build?
Add the gradle process to AwakeMate and it keeps the Mac awake automatically across the whole build, from configuration through to the last task. With idle-sleep on it powers through the CPU-heavy phases and then lets the Mac sleep once the build returns - no flags to set on each run.
Why not just set Energy Saver to Never, or wrap the build in caffeinate?
Both work, but they are blunt. Setting sleep to "Never" holds the Mac awake for absolutely everything until you remember to change it back, and caffeinate -i ./gradlew build only covers that one command. AwakeMate automates the same effect per build tool and, with idle-sleep on, lets the Mac sleep the moment the build finishes - without touching your saved energy settings.
Why does my Mac keep falling asleep halfway through a Gradle build?
Long Gradle tasks compile and test with no keyboard or trackpad input, so macOS treats the silence as idle and sleeps. AwakeMate blocks idle sleep while gradle is working and, with idle-sleep on, won't keep the Mac up once a build finishes and the daemon goes quiet.
Will it keep my Mac awake for Gradle 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 Gradle 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.