Keep the screen on while presenting
Yes, AwakeTab can keep the screen on while you present, with one catch. When your slides go full screen, they hide the AwakeTab tab, and the browser stops keeping the screen on. So keep AwakeTab visible another way: the floating window in desktop Chrome, Edge or Firefox; AwakeTab for Chrome, which works with the tab hidden; a second window on your own screen; or a longer display timeout for the talk.
Set it up before you're introduced
- Start a session that ends with your slot.Pick 2 h, or tap "Until…" and choose the end of your slot, such as 11:30 AM. Tap Start and wait for "Screen awake".
- Open the floating window, or turn on the extension.Start the slideshow. The floating window should still say "Screen awake".
- Rehearse once.Leave the slideshow running, untouched, for longer than your display timeout. If the screen stays on, you're set.
What to expect during the talk
A browser keeps the screen on only for a page that is visible. PowerPoint, Keynote or Google Slides in full screen covers the AwakeTab tab, so the browser releases the wake lock. From that moment, your computer's normal display timeout runs again.
The pill at the top of the tool tells you what the browser is doing:
- Screen awake
- With a running time, the display, and the projector with it, is being kept on.
- Paused — tab hidden
- Full-screen slides cover AwakeTab, and the normal display timeout is back in charge.
- Blocked — here's the fix
- The browser refused the lock. Check the card before you go on stage: it names the cause and the fix, such as Safari wanting one more tap.
Four ways to keep it on
| Option | Where it works | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Floating window | Desktop Chrome and Edge 116 or later, Firefox 151 or later | Stays on top of other windows. Not in Safari or on Android |
| AwakeTab for Chrome | Chrome and Edge on a computer | Uses Chrome's power setting, so the tab can be hidden or minimised |
| A second window on your screen | Any browser, with an extended display | Slides full screen on the projector, AwakeTab visible on the laptop |
| A longer display timeout | Any computer where you can change settings | Free and certain, but remember to set it back |
The floating window is the quickest. Open it with the "Floating window" button in the AwakeTab header; the browser may ask you to allow pop-ups for awaketab.com. Whether it keeps the screen on while full-screen slides cover the main tab is not yet device-tested; the result will go on our how-we-tested page. Until then, rehearse.
AwakeTab for Chrome is the most dependable choice for full-screen slides. Its Screen level keeps the display on while Chrome runs, whatever window is in front.
A longer timeout is the right answer on your own laptop if you present often. The steps are in Keep the screen on in Windows 11 and on the Mac page.
The projector and second displays
A projector or second monitor follows your laptop's display timeout, so it stays on while AwakeTab keeps the display on. A projector that turns itself off after losing the signal is using its own setting; Fix a second monitor that turns off covers that case.
A work lock policy is different: if your laptop locks during a long Q&A, AwakeTab won't prevent that. Lock screen versus display sleep explains the difference. Teaching a class? See keep the classroom screen on while you teach.
Before the talk starts
Questions
Soubhik Biswas · Builds AwakeTab. Sources checked Saturday, 26 September 2026. About AwakeTab