Why is my Mac sleeping, staying awake or paused unexpectedly?

Why did the Mac sleep during a task?

1. Check Keep Awake. Automatic adds no Keep Awake request. Timed needs a running session; selecting the mode alone is insufficient.
2. Check the session's end time. It may have expired or been replaced by an edit.
3. If the screen alone went dark, check Displays. Allow Sleep permits screen sleep while keeping the system awake during a timed session.
4. On a MacBook, check Closed Lid Mode. Automatic follows normal macOS lid behavior; Sleep explicitly requests sleep on closing.
5. Check for Paused: battery cutoff, an unavailable battery reading, or a sleep-control error.

The mode is not a guarantee against explicit sleep, shutdown, battery exhaustion, or every cause of interruption. To use a closed MacBook on battery, the approved helper must actually activate Stay awake or Screens off; an unconnected helper cannot supply that behavior.

If the status shows a failed sleep-control request, use Retry Sleep Controls. If it reports a helper approval/connection problem, open Welcome & Help… and use helper troubleshooting.

Why does the Mac stay awake after I end a session?

End Session removes the timed Keep Awake request. It does not automatically change Closed Lid Mode. Stay awake and Screens off can still prevent system sleep while the lid is open.

1. End the session or choose Keep Awake → Automatic.
2. On a MacBook, choose Closed Lid Mode → Automatic to stop its helper-based prevention too.
3. Check the power status. Radar Display isn’t preventing sleep. indicates that this app reports no active prevention.

If the status says Couldn’t stop sleep prevention. Retrying…, the release is still failing. An off choice does not mean the underlying request has already gone away. Use Retry Sleep Controls if offered and let the retry finish. The app also retries sleep-control failures periodically.

If Radar Display reports no active prevention but the Mac still will not sleep, check macOS settings and other applications that can keep it awake. Radar Display only releases the sleep-prevention requests it owns.

Why is the app still paused after I plug in power?

A triggered Battery Cutoff ends the session and saves a paused state. It remains paused after connecting power, charging above the threshold, changing the cutoff, or reopening the app.

First make the battery condition safe: connect power, charge above the limit, lower the limit below the current charge, or set the cutoff Off. Then click Resume to clear the pause without starting a session. If you want a new timed session, choosing its duration and clicking Start Session can clear the pause and start that session directly. Resume alone does not recreate the ended session.

If the saved lid mode is Stay awake or Screens off, Resume can reactivate that helper-based behavior even before a new session starts. Switching to Automatic or Always also clears the pause after a successful change, but Always does not use the cutoff.

See resume after cutoff for the full procedure.

Why did Battery Cutoff not stop sleep prevention?

Check these conditions:

A cutoff does not issue Sleep Now. It removes Radar Display's prevention so normal sleep policy can proceed. If a release fails, the status stays truthful about remaining prevention and the app retries.

What does Waiting for battery status mean?

Waiting for battery status before preventing sleep. means an enabled Timed battery guard does not yet have a reliable internal-battery reading. The app waits instead of assuming the battery is safe.

A temporary unknown reading differs from a cutoff that actually triggered. With a valid safe reading, a pending sleep-prevention request can proceed. After a real cutoff, use Resume, start a new session, or successfully change Keep Awake to Automatic or Always. A newly valid reading alone does not clear that persisted pause.

If the message persists, report the Mac model, whether it is on power or battery, the selected cutoff, and whether macOS itself shows a battery reading.

Why did a session end early or have a different deadline?

Relaunch uses the saved absolute end time. An hour-long session with only ten minutes left does not become another hour when the app reopens. An expired session is ended before the app reinstates sleep prevention.

Choosing a preset duration during a running session sets a new deadline from that edit. Changes to Until's Day or End Time also apply immediately. Custom Minutes applies on Return or when the field loses focus. Invalid edits leave the old session intact and show an error.

Ending, expiring, or losing a session to Battery Cutoff leaves Keep Awake in Timed. No session running. Start a session to keep your Mac awake. is expected until you start another one.

What should I send to support for a sleep problem?

Record the exact power status and error text, Keep Awake mode, active deadline if any, Displays choice, Closed Lid Mode, helper approval/connection status, cutoff, current battery percentage, and whether the Mac is plugged in. Say whether the lid was open or closed and what happened immediately before the problem.

An error such as Couldn’t keep the Mac awake (IOKit error [number]). refers to creating a Keep Awake request. Couldn’t release Keep Awake (IOKit error [number]). refers to releasing it. A helper or system-sleep request can report a different message. Include its full wording instead of treating all errors as the same fault.

There is no in-app diagnostic export, sleep-history log, or session-history screen. Use the current state and the steps that reproduce the issue.