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On a Mac mini, go to Apple menu > System Settings > Energy and turn on Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off. Set the display’s own inactive timeout separately in System Settings > Lock Screen. This lets the screen turn off while the Mac stays awake, but it cannot guarantee uninterrupted YouTube playback, internet access, or stream uptime.
Keep the Mac mini awake while its display is off
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Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
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Select Energy in the sidebar.
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Turn on Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off.
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To choose when the display goes dark, open System Settings > Lock Screen and set the display’s inactive timeout there. Do not use the display timeout as a substitute for the Energy sleep control.
Apple notes that the available settings can vary by Mac. If the exact option is not shown, use the sleep controls available for your desktop Mac and macOS version. Apple also cautions that “Delaying, preventing, or allowing disruption of sleep may increase power consumption.” Apple’s sleep and wake settings guide and its desktop Energy settings guide describe these controls.
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Use a temporary keep-awake command for one session
For a one-off listening or viewing session, macOS includes caffeinate, which prevents idle sleep while the command is running.
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Open Terminal.
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Enter
caffeinateand press Return. -
Leave that Terminal window and command running while you use the stream.
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When finished, return to Terminal and press Control-C to end the command.
With no flags, caffeinate maintains its sleep-prevention assertion until the command exits. See the macOS System Manager’s Manual entry for caffeinate. This is a temporary way to keep the Mac awake, not a safeguard against YouTube, browser, or network interruptions.
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Choose the approach that suits your routine
| Approach | Best suited to | How it ends | Consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy setting | Repeated or unattended playback | Turn the option off again in System Settings | It remains enabled until changed and may increase power consumption. |
caffeinate |
A single session | Press Control-C in the Terminal window running the command | The keep-awake assertion lasts only while the command is running. |
Neither approach keeps a browser tab, Wi-Fi connection, router, YouTube service, or live stream from failing. Apple’s developer documentation about preventing display sleep during AVPlayer video playback describes an app framework property; it does not establish that YouTube in a browser will prevent sleep or play indefinitely.
If the Mac mini still sleeps
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Reopen System Settings > Energy and check that Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off is enabled.
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Check System Settings > Lock Screen to confirm the display timeout is set as you intend.
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If the behavior is still unexpected, follow Apple’s troubleshooting guidance: review Sharing services, check Activity Monitor for background CPU activity, install available macOS software updates, and check connected storage or other devices. See If your Mac sleeps or wakes unexpectedly.
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Wake for network access is not a keep-awake switch. Apple describes it as waking a sleeping Mac to provide shared resources, rather than preventing ordinary sleep.
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