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Device guide

Keep a Chromebook screen on

Chrome on a Chromebook keeps the screen on from a visible AwakeTab tab. Tap Start and the display stays lit while the tab is showing, then the Chromebook goes back to its own setting when you stop. School and work Chromebooks follow their administrator's power rules, and closing the lid sleeps unless "Sleep when cover is closed" is off.

Sources checked Saturday, 26 September 20263 min readBy Soubhik Biswas
Open AwakeTab

Set it up on your Chromebook

Three steps. The screenshots are placeholders until real-device captures are recorded.

  1. Step 1: Open AwakeTab in Chrome and tap Start

    Chrome › awaketab.com

    Pick a length, an "Until…" time or ∞, then tap Start. Wait for the pill to say "Screen awake".

  2. Step 2: Keep the tab showing

    No minimising while it runs

    To work at the same time, drag another window to the edge of the display to snap the two side by side. Switch tabs or minimise, and the pill changes to "Paused — tab hidden".

  3. Step 3: Optional: change the ChromeOS setting

    Clock › Settings › System preferences › Power

    Older versions list Power under Device. Under the idle option, choose to keep the display on. Labels differ slightly between versions, and a managed Chromebook may grey them out.

Which Chromebook setups keep the screen on

Support claims come from browser documentation and automated tests. Real-device results appear in the matrix once recorded. Sources checked 26 September 2026.

Chrome 84 or later, tab showingResult: SupportedWhat to know: Chromebooks receive Chrome updates with ChromeOS.
Another tab in front, or the window minimisedResult: PausesWhat to know: The lock is let go until the tab is back.
A plain http pageResult: Video fallbackWhat to know: There is no wake lock there, so AwakeTab suggests "Tap to use the fallback".
Managed school or work ChromebookResult: Not yet testedWhat to know: Admin rules can force the screen off, force sleep or block extensions. AwakeTab does not work around them.
AwakeTab for Chrome extensionResult: SupportedWhat to know: AwakeTab for Chrome uses Chrome's own power setting, so it keeps the display on (Screen) or only the Chromebook awake (System) with the tab hidden.
Google's Keep Awake extensionResult: SupportedWhat to know: A separate extension from Google. In September 2026 its listing shows about 1,000,000 users and a last update on 4 August 2023 (version 1.9).

What turns the screen off anyway

If the screen still goes dark, one of these is usually the reason.

  • Closing the lidThe Chromebook sleeps unless "Sleep when cover is closed" is off in the Power settings. The tab and the extension cannot stop lid sleep.
  • An administrator's policyIf the pill never reaches "Screen awake", or the screen still sleeps, the school or work policy is in charge. Only the administrator can change it.Keep the classroom screen on
  • Battery saverIt may dim the screen, but Chrome has no battery-saver check on the wake lock.
Try it hereTry itStart a session, switch tabs, then come back and watch the pill. No end time: it keeps the screen on until you stop it.Start this session

Questions

Your school or employer manages the device, and its administrator sets the power rules from the Google Admin console. You cannot change them from the Chromebook. A visible AwakeTab tab may still help within those rules, but if the screen keeps going dark, ask the administrator.

Soubhik Biswas · Builds AwakeTab. Sources checked Saturday, 26 September 2026. About AwakeTab