A screenshot of Mac's Terminal displaying power scheduling commands.

How to Schedule Your Mac to Power Up and Shut Down Automatically

How to Automate Power Scheduling on Your Mac

If you’ve recently acquired Apple’s new Mac Mini and find yourself frustrated with its power button placement, automating its startup and shutdown schedule might be the solution you need. In this guide, we’ll walk you through setting up a power schedule using Terminal, ideal for enhancing your workflow and conserving energy.

Why Automate Your Mac’s Power Schedule?

  • Don't want to deal with a dead battery on your laptop?
  • Need your computer to run backups at specific hours?
  • Want to shut down your Mac during non-working hours?

Access Terminal

To get started, open Terminal.app. You can find it under Utilities in your Applications folder or simply search for it using ⌘ (command) + spacebar.

Setting Up a Startup Schedule

To schedule your Mac to power on, use the command:

sudo pmset repeat poweron

Next, specify which days you want the schedule to run:

  • M - Monday
  • T - Tuesday
  • W - Wednesday
  • R - Thursday
  • F - Friday
  • S - Saturday
  • U - Sunday

Then enter the desired time in HH:MM:SS format using 24-hour time. For example:

sudo pmset repeat poweron weekdays 7:00:00

To power up between Wednesday and Sunday at 7AM, the command is:

sudo pmset repeat poweron WRFSU 7:00:00

Adding a Shutdown Schedule

To include a shutdown schedule, append “shutdown” to the command:

sudo pmset repeat poweron WRFSU 7:00:00 shutdown MTWRFSU 1:00:00

This sets your Mac to shut down daily at 1AM.

Clear Your Power Schedule

If you decide that the automated schedule isn’t for you, clearing it is easy. Just use:

sudo pmset repeat cancel

Check Your Schedule

To confirm your settings, type:

pmset -g sched

Troubleshooting Shutdown Issues

If your Mac doesn’t shut down as scheduled, apps with unsaved work may be preventing it. You can still wake it using this syntax:

sudo pmset repeat shutdown MTWRFSU 1:00:00 wakeorpoweron MTWRF 7:00:00

Conclusion

By following these simple steps, you can automate your Mac's power management and enjoy the conveniences that come with organizing your computer’s operation times. Save energy, reduce wear-and-tear, and never deal with dead batteries or missed backup windows again!

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