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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 2026 3 min read By Soubhik Biswas
  • Chrome 84 or later
  • Extension AwakeTab for Chrome
  • Managed Chromebook admin rules apply

Try it

Start a session, switch tabs, then come back and watch the pill.

Ready Suggested · ∞
Starts when you open this tab
00:00

until you stop

How AwakeTab knows

    Session complete

    Keeps awake for
    00:00
    until you stop
    Keeps awake for
    00:00
    until you stop no limit
    00:00
    until you stop
    Keeps awake for
    00:00
    until you stop

    Stopped to save battery

    Keeps this screen on while this tab stays visible.

    Ends Until you stop

    Type any time. A time that has already passed today means tomorrow.

    until you stop

    How long?

    until you stop

    Share this session

    Waits for a tap to start.Starts keeping the screen awake as it opens.

    Is AwakeTab doing its job?

    Your rating

    Time's up. Keep going?

    Settings

    How AwakeTab behaves. Every change saves as you make it.

    Timer Ask to extendJust stop · · Notifies youNo notification
    When time is up
    End sound Chosen in Customize, with the focus sounds.
    Clock Follow language12-hour24-hour · Seconds shownNo seconds · English
    Clock format
    Language English
    Focus Pomodoro lengths, breathing and your intention
    Device and privacy Battery stop onBattery stop off · Shortcuts onShortcuts off · Usage data onUsage data off
    15%
    AwakeTab stops the session at this level.Turn on the switch above to choose a level.
    Pro Your plan and the devices it covers. See what's in Pro Manage devices
    Reset to defaults

    Every setting here goes back to its default. Your notes, stats and Pro stay.

    What's new

    Version 2026.10.21 · a91a8c2

    Customize

    Make it yours. Every change shows on the clock at once.

    Every face shows the same time and state. Swipe the clock or press C to switch faces.

    Classic

    Retro

    Modern

    Your stats

    This week
    Today
    Streak
    All time

    time awake per day

    Pro keeps 12 weeks of history. See what's in Pro

    One row per day: date, minutes, sessions.

    Keyboard shortcuts

    Shortcuts need a keyboard. Without one, the buttons on screen do the same things.

    Session

    Space
    Start or stop
    1 6
    Presets 15 min–4 h
    0
    Until I stop
    U
    Until a time
    Esc
    Close or stop

    Screen

    F
    Fullscreen
    C
    Next clock face (Shift+C goes back)
    D
    Cycle theme
    M
    Cycle ambient mode
    P
    Floating window

    Tools

    S
    Sounds
    N
    Notes
    T
    Focus timer
    B
    Breathing guide
    I
    What you're working on
    ?
    This overlay

    Press ? or Esc to close. Single-key shortcuts can be turned off in Settings.Single-key shortcuts can be turned off in Settings.

    AwakeTab Pro

    $12 a year

    • More themes, lamps and backgrounds
    • A sound mixer
    • More notes
    • A repeating Pomodoro
    • Message mode
    • 12 weeks of stats

    Keeping the screen awake stays free, with no ads on the awake screen.

    Enter licence key Get Pro

    Clock

    Start this session
    On this page
    1. Try it
    2. Set it up
    3. Which setups work
    4. What turns it off
    5. Honest limit
    6. Questions
    7. Related

    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.

    SetupResultWhat to know
    Chrome 84 or later, tab showing Supported Chromebooks receive Chrome updates with ChromeOS.
    Another tab in front, or the window minimised Pauses The lock is let go until the tab is back.
    A plain http page Video fallback There is no wake lock there, so AwakeTab suggests "Tap to use the fallback".
    Managed school or work Chromebook Not yet tested Admin rules can force the screen off, force sleep or block extensions. AwakeTab does not work around them.
    AwakeTab for Chrome extension Supported 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 extension Supported 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 lid The 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 policy If 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 saver It may dim the screen, but Chrome has no battery-saver check on the wake lock.

    Questions

    Why are the power settings greyed out on my school Chromebook?

    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.

    Is AwakeTab for Chrome the same as Google's Keep Awake extension?

    No. They are separate extensions from different developers that do a similar job. AwakeTab for Chrome has timers and a toolbar badge, and it also works in Edge on Windows and macOS. If Keep Awake already does what you need, there is no reason to switch.

    Can I work in another window while the tab keeps the screen on?

    Yes, if the AwakeTab window stays on screen. Snap two windows side by side by dragging one to the edge of the display, and work in the other.

    How do I keep the Chromebook running with the lid closed?

    Turn off "Sleep when cover is closed" in the Power settings, if your Chromebook is not managed. Neither the tab nor the extension can stop lid sleep on its own.

    Soubhik Biswas

    Builds AwakeTab. Sources checked Saturday, 26 September 2026. About AwakeTab