MacBook Air M1 unable to sleep computer

After updating to Tahoe, my MacBook Air M1 won't go into sleep mode.

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 26.0

Posted on Sep 17, 2025 08:35 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 17, 2025 10:12 AM

wibisono25 wrote:

I've tried everything from the battery to checking the terminal, everything is normal... the sleep button won't work. I tried using a shortcut that says "unable to sleep this computer"


A SafeBoot Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support will sort many anomalies like yours.


Login and test. Reboot as normal and test. Caches get rebuilt automatically.


I would look at >Force Quit any items that may be hung up as well.



report back your success or failure.


if no resolve I would re-install the macOS on top of your existing macOS— no harm there.

follow the instructions carefully—How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support



7 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 17, 2025 10:12 AM in response to wibisono25

wibisono25 wrote:

I've tried everything from the battery to checking the terminal, everything is normal... the sleep button won't work. I tried using a shortcut that says "unable to sleep this computer"


A SafeBoot Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support will sort many anomalies like yours.


Login and test. Reboot as normal and test. Caches get rebuilt automatically.


I would look at >Force Quit any items that may be hung up as well.



report back your success or failure.


if no resolve I would re-install the macOS on top of your existing macOS— no harm there.

follow the instructions carefully—How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support



Sep 17, 2025 10:25 AM in response to wibisono25

wibisono25 wrote:

After updating to Tahoe, my MacBook Air M1 won't go into sleep mode.

checking the terminal...


You do not say what you did in Terminal...(?)


What about simply closing the lid(?)


you can snoop around for some clue hanging or resisting your efforts looking at Recent Wake / Sleep logs:

pmset -g log|grep -e " Sleep  " -e " Wake  " 



to retore defaults if there is an issue, copy and paste:

sudo pmset restoredefaults


(Please note: your psswd will not echo, type it in anyway, to proceed use the enter\return key)



here would be an example (for comparison only) functioning as expected in macOS 26:


Sep 17, 2025 10:13 AM in response to wibisono25

Silicon macs don't really sleep anymore, references to sleep behaviour in a Mac are taken away in the documentation and System settings. The pulsating light indicating sleep? Gone ... And then you have the never ending mediaanalysisd running all the time and preventing sleep, analysing YOUR images and media even if you don't what that to happen. Join the club of people who more and more feel their not owning their own mac anymore. Checkout Sleep aid, it will answer your questions. The link I did post to help you was removed by the moderator for reasons unknown to me.

MacBook Air M1 unable to sleep computer

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