jainam2209

Q: macOS Sierra - hold down power button to enter sleep mode

I recently updated my MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015) model from El Capitan to macOS Sierra v10.12. Before the update, holding down power button for 2 to 3 seconds put the machine in to sleep mode. It doesn't work properly after the update. Holding down power button to enter sleep mode works only once after every start of the machine.

 

I know there is an option to enter sleep mode using Ctrl + Power button and then selecting one of the three options from Restart, Sleep and Shutdown, but that needs 3 more clicks and taps and is not quick. Also, irrespective of any app that is open, pressing power button worked well before the update, but now I need to be on the desktop to even make Ctrl + Power button work.

 

Any fixes available to this? I am missing the old way of putting my Mac to sleep I don't remember whether I did some tweak in my Mac or was it a default functionality..

MacBook Air, macOS Sierra (10.12)

Posted on Sep 23, 2016 1:28 AM

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Q: macOS Sierra - hold down power button to enter sleep mode

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  • by braden85,

    braden85 braden85 Sep 24, 2016 1:23 PM in response to jainam2209
    Community Specialists
    Sep 24, 2016 1:23 PM in response to jainam2209
    Greetings jainam2209,

    Thank you for using Apple Support Communities. It seems like you want to put the Mac to sleep but it is not working consistently. 
    I would recommend you read these articles, the first article explains the ways that macOS Sierra is supposed to go to sleep.
    The second article may help if the computer will not go to sleep when you try to make it sleep. 
     

    macOS Sierra: Put your Mac to sleep

    macOS Sierra: If your Mac won’t go to or stay in sleep

    Take care.

  • by heylookitstariq,Helpful

    heylookitstariq heylookitstariq Sep 27, 2016 6:29 AM in response to braden85
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Notebooks
    Sep 27, 2016 6:29 AM in response to braden85

    I'm having the same problem. This is clearly a bug, not us not knowing how to put our Macs to sleep.

  • by dcalp,

    dcalp dcalp Sep 25, 2016 5:57 AM in response to braden85
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 25, 2016 5:57 AM in response to braden85

    Hello, same problem here, Macbook Air mid 2011. From the first document you suggested:

    Put your Mac to sleep or wake it from sleep

    • To put your Mac to sleep, do any of the following:
      • Press and release the power button once.

     

    This is what I usually do, and it's not working.

  • by Molin,

    Molin Molin Sep 25, 2016 3:14 PM in response to jainam2209
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Sep 25, 2016 3:14 PM in response to jainam2209

    Definitely a bug, I have it to: after some time, the hold power / release doesn't put mac to sleep.

    But it does after fresh system boot up.

  • by jainam2209,

    jainam2209 jainam2209 Sep 27, 2016 6:30 AM in response to braden85
    Level 1 (11 points)
    Notebooks
    Sep 27, 2016 6:30 AM in response to braden85

    @braden85, this doesn't solve the problem, there is inconsistency in the way power button works in macOS Sierra

  • by chris_g1,

    chris_g1 chris_g1 Sep 27, 2016 6:53 AM in response to jainam2209
    Community Specialists
    Sep 27, 2016 6:53 AM in response to jainam2209
    Hey jainam2209,

    Thank you for using the Apple Support Community. Due to the nature of your issue, you may find more information by using another one of Apple's support resources -

    https://getsupport.apple.com/GetproductgroupList.action

    Take care.

  • by karpedm,

    karpedm karpedm Sep 27, 2016 8:34 AM in response to jainam2209
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Sep 27, 2016 8:34 AM in response to jainam2209

    I have same problem after upgrading to Sierra.

    How can it be possible to have such a critical bug even after such a long beta testing?

  • by DJmixa,

    DJmixa DJmixa Sep 29, 2016 12:30 AM in response to jainam2209
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 29, 2016 12:30 AM in response to jainam2209

    I solved the problem just by rebooting for the second (perhaps third?) time after the Sierra install. So try shutting down and rebooting once or twice (use the apple icon at the top left). It sounds like a silly fix but it did it for me. I assume this simple self-solution is also a reason why this "bug" is not all over internet.

  • by DJmixa,

    DJmixa DJmixa Sep 29, 2016 4:23 AM in response to DJmixa
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 29, 2016 4:23 AM in response to DJmixa

    Edit: The problem is on-and-off again, so the issue remains.

     

    What I decided to do, however, is to use fn+PowerButton, then S for sleep. That seems to work consistently. Might be that Apple did it like this intentionally, so that if you accidentally press the power - it is so very close to the F12 button that is quite useful, for me at least- the computer won't go to sleep..

     

    Hope this helps. Will have to check the Sierra/MacBook official documentation to check how the button should work. I use a 2016 MacBook by the way.

  • by ktana,

    ktana ktana Sep 29, 2016 7:24 AM in response to jainam2209
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 29, 2016 7:24 AM in response to jainam2209

    SSame issue here!

  • by dwb,

    dwb dwb Sep 29, 2016 8:17 AM in response to jainam2209
    Level 7 (24,253 points)
    Notebooks
    Sep 29, 2016 8:17 AM in response to jainam2209

    I'm not having that problem but I think the behavior has changed a little. I seem to recall that holding the power button for a couple seconds would sleep the computer and specifically that the computer would sleep while I was holding the power button down. When I read your problem and checked out my computer I found that if I hold the button waiting for the computer to sleep I'll wind up seeing the dialog asking if I want to sleep, shutdown or cancel. But if I press the power button for about 2 seconds and release it the computer sleeps. Every time. Also tested it on my office mate's computer. Same thing. You don't see the same behavior?

  • by xallobj,

    xallobj xallobj Sep 29, 2016 11:13 PM in response to jainam2209
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 29, 2016 11:13 PM in response to jainam2209

    Same Problem with my MacBook Pro 2012.

     

    Pressing the power Button does not have any reaction, until the system powers down. It dows not go to standby (pressing 2-3 seconds), show the dialog (pressing 4-8 seconds), but does a hard shutdown (pressing at least for 10 seconds)

     

    It works for some time after a fresh restart, but at least the next day it does not work anymore. The botton works it is not a hardware error, as it does the hard shutdown. Stated to appear after the upgrade to sierra, so it is an OS bug. As it works after a restart, it is also meant to work.

  • by jainam2209,

    jainam2209 jainam2209 Sep 29, 2016 11:40 PM in response to DJmixa
    Level 1 (11 points)
    Notebooks
    Sep 29, 2016 11:40 PM in response to DJmixa

    fn+power button -> S works, but that is what I don't want...so many clicks! (not literally so many)

     

    however, accidentally pressing power button didn't put mac to sleep. holding it for about 2 to 3 seconds did..I remember, I had deliberately tried it out thinking that placing the power button next to f12 key is a design bug. but it's not! not sure why your mac would go to sleep by accidentally pressing power button

  • by jainam2209,

    jainam2209 jainam2209 Sep 29, 2016 11:42 PM in response to dwb
    Level 1 (11 points)
    Notebooks
    Sep 29, 2016 11:42 PM in response to dwb

    holding down power button for more seconds shut my mac down...didn't see the dialog. I could see this dialog before the OS update but not now

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