Koffee Support
Most questions are answered below. If yours isn’t, write to us through the contact form. Tell us your macOS version, your Mac model, and the display model if it’s about a display. The form takes text only, so describe what you see.
Quick start
- Click the cup in the menu bar to turn Awake on. A bright cup means your Mac stays awake.
- Right-click the cup for the full panel: the status line, a card for each display, Settings, and Quit.
- In Settings > Dimming, choose when the screen dims, how long the fade takes, and how dark it gets.
Troubleshooting
The screen doesn’t dim. Check the status line in the panel. “Paused: [app] is preventing display sleep” means another app is keeping the display on, and Koffee will pick up again when it stops. “Paused: on battery” means “Only when connected to power” is on and the Mac is running on battery. Also check that “Dim screen when idle” is on.
A display shows a warning symbol. That display doesn’t support the default Gamma method, so Koffee uses the Overlay method instead. You can choose the method in Settings > Displays.
The Mac still went to sleep. Closing the lid without an external display and power, a critically low battery, Low Power Mode, manual sleep, and update restarts are up to macOS. Koffee can’t override them.
I ended up on the lock screen. “Put display to sleep after dimming” was on, and macOS asks for a password after display sleep. Turn the option off in Settings > Dimming, or change the lock setting in System Settings.
Brightness looks wrong after quitting. Koffee restores display settings every time it exits. If something still looks off, open System Settings > Displays and adjust the brightness once.
Requirements
macOS 26 or later. Apple silicon and Intel Macs.
Privacy
Koffee collects no data. See the Privacy Policy.
Contact us
Use the contact form. We reply to the email address you leave there.
Frequently asked questions
What does Koffee do?
It keeps your Mac awake while the switch is on. After a few idle minutes it dims the screen, and any input brings the brightness back.
Will my agents, builds, and downloads keep running?
Yes. Dimming only changes the picture. The Mac keeps working.
Does dimming save energy?
On most LCD displays, no. Koffee dims the picture, not the backlight, so power use stays about the same. OLED and mini-LED displays do draw less when the picture is dark.
Why does it need macOS 26?
Koffee is built on the macOS 26 interface and frameworks. There's no version for older releases.
Does it work with external monitors?
Yes. Every connected display dims. If a display doesn't support the default method, Koffee uses an overlay instead and marks that display in the panel.
Why didn't it dim while I was watching a video?
Another app asked macOS to keep the display on. Koffee waits and picks up again when that app is done.
What happens when I close the lid?
That's up to macOS. Without an external display and power, a closed lid puts the Mac to sleep whether Koffee is on or not.
Does Koffee collect any data?
No. The app has no network access, no analytics, and no account.
Can I keep the Mac awake without dimming?
Yes. Turn off "Dim screen when idle" in the panel or in Settings > Dimming.
Will it drain my laptop battery?
An awake Mac uses more energy than a sleeping one. Turn on "Only when connected to power" in Settings > General and Koffee pauses on battery.
What is "Put display to sleep after dimming"?
An optional second step. After the screen has been dim for the delay you set, Koffee lets macOS put the display to sleep while the Mac keeps running. It only works if the macOS display sleep timer isn't set to Never. If your Mac asks for a password after display sleep, you'll come back to the lock screen. Off by default.
Will browsers slow down my tabs while the screen is dim?
Not with the default Gamma method. Windows stay visible to macOS, so nothing gets throttled. With the Overlay method or display sleep, browsers may treat tabs as hidden.
How do I set a keyboard shortcut?
Settings > General > Global hotkey. There isn't one by default.
What if Koffee crashes?
macOS drops Koffee's keep-awake requests on its own and goes back to its normal sleep rules.
How do I quit?
Right-click the cup in the menu bar and choose Quit.