Why your Mac sleeps while running Adobe Premiere Pro
Premiere exports, especially to Media Encoder, can take hours. Media Encoder running in the background doesn't prevent sleep since macOS only tracks mouse and keyboard activity.
macOS tracks idle time based on mouse and keyboard input, not CPU or app activity. If you're not actively moving the mouse while Adobe Premiere Pro does its thing, the idle timer counts down and your Mac sleeps.
Keep your Mac awake with Shake It On
Shake It On moves your mouse slightly at regular intervals, resetting the idle timer. It only runs when your conditions are met, so it activates when Adobe Premiere Pro is working and stops when you're done.
Best condition for Adobe Premiere Pro: Only Shake If CPU is above 25%
Quick setup
- Install Shake It On and grant Accessibility permission
- Open Settings from the menu bar icon
- Under "Only Shake If," enable the condition: Only Shake If CPU is above 25%
- Under "Paused When," enable "On battery" to save power when unplugged
- For long overnight operations, enable "Allow display to sleep" in the General section so the screen turns off but the system stays awake
Keep your Mac awake while Adobe Premiere Pro runs. Smart conditions, $9.99 one-time. Get Shake It On for $9.99 →
Keep your Mac awake the easy way.
Shake It On lives in your menu bar and uses organic mouse movement to prevent sleep. Set it once and forget it.
Get Shake It On for $9.99One-time purchase. No subscription. Free updates forever.