New macbook Pro M1 chip waking when asleep with log "SMC.OutboxNotEmpty" wake reason

The com.apple.PowerUIAgent process is associated with the optimized battery charging option. To disable this maintenance process, just need to uncheck the optimized battery charging option. Anyway, it's my pleasure to solve your problem.

Same here with my MacBook Pro 13 inch. Posted in the german support forum (https://communities.apple.com/de/thread/252534932), but I don't think anything will happen. Seems, that not all users on M1 have this problem or maybe don't realize it and as someone already said: Apple is only reacting when a massive amount of users are affected.

I have the same issue. This is the stats I got in the morning.

This is really more than annoying since it wakes up the external monitor to which the Mac is connected every few minutes.

Apple folks, please respond to this.

I've found out an easier way to sovle this issue:

1.Run command in terminal: sudo pmset -a tcpkeepalive 0

2.Run command in terminal: sudo pmset -a powernap 0

3.Make sure these options is not checked: "System Preferences->Battery->Optimized battery charging" and "System Preferences->Battery->Power Adapter->Wake for network access"

These two commands + disabling "Wake for network access" worked for me perfectly. Waking up every few minutes stopped, there is no battery drain over night now. Thank you chrisia777!

Jan 23, 2021 10:25 PM in response to chrisia777

I've found out an easier way to sovle this issue:

1.Run command in terminal: sudo pmset -a tcpkeepalive 0

2.Run command in terminal: sudo pmset -a powernap 0

3.Make sure these options is not checked: "System Preferences->Battery->Optimized battery charging" and "System Preferences->Battery->Power Adapter->Wake for network access"

The only downside with tcpkeepalive turned off is a warning you get when issuing the command that Find My might not be working properly, but I guess during pandemic and lockdown I will have lesser chance of my macbook being stolen or lost.

Now when my macbook is sleeping, battery is not used at all (it behaves the same as macbook being turned off). You can see this in this figure:

After continuous investigation and research, I found that it was the problem of powernap. It's not bigsur's bug that cause external devices wake up automatically. Unlike other Intel MacBook,powernap can't be completely disabled on M1.

Typing the command in terminal.app "pmset -g log | grep darkwake" to view the darkwake log, I found that two events caused my m1 MacBook Pro to wake up. As follows:

1. DarkWake from Deep Idle [CDNP] : due to SMC.OutboxNotEmpty smc.70070000 wifibt wlan/ Using AC (Charge:100%) 6 secs

2.DarkWake from Deep Idle [CDNPB] : due to NUB.SPMISw3IRQ nub-spmi.0x02 rtc/Maintenance Using AC (Charge:92%) 45 secs

Both events are caused by M1 MacBook forcing powernap to be enabled. But we also have a solution (need to upgrade to the latest macOS 11.2 RC):

1.Run command in terminal: sudo pmset -a tcpkeepalive 0

2.Run command in terminal: sudo pmset -a powernap 0

It's not over yet, because another process will still wake up in darkwake mode. To shut down this process, first you need to disable SIP: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/security/disabling_and_enabling_system_integrity_protection

Then run command in terminal: sudo launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.PowerUIAgent.plist

BTW,do not re-enable SIP or last command will be invalid.The recovery mode of M1 is different from Intel, please search for it yourself.

Is there any other reason for this? I have no devices connected to the laptop, and no charger plugged in. Just the laptop alone. It keeps waking up every and sleeping after few seconds.

Two different reasons:

• NUB.SPMISw3IRQ nub-spmi.0x02
• SMC.OutboxNotEmpty

Why does this happen?

2021-01-06 04:44:40 -0500 DarkWake              DarkWake from Deep Idle [CDNP] : due to NUB.SPMISw3IRQ nub-spmi.0x02 rtc/SleepService Using BATT (Charge:100%) 4 secs
2021-01-06 04:44:44 -0500 Sleep                 Entering Sleep state due to 'Sleep Service Back to Sleep':TCPKeepAlive=active Using Batt (Charge:100%) 374 secs
2021-01-06 04:50:58 -0500 DarkWake              DarkWake from Deep Idle [CDNP] : due to SMC.OutboxNotEmpty smc.70070000 wifibt wlan/ Using BATT (Charge:100%) 5 secs
2021-01-06 04:51:03 -0500 Sleep                 Entering Sleep state due to 'Maintenance Sleep':TCPKeepAlive=active Using Batt (Charge:100%) 933 secs

Thank you for your assistance here. Just two quick points

1. Has a Radar been filed about this issue? If not, one should be filed so that this can be addressed in a future OS update
2. Can you explain what those commands do, and how to reverse those changes:

sudo pmset -a tcpkeepalive 0
sudo pmset -a powernap 0

I presume running the following will reverse the changes:

sudo pmset -a tcpkeepalive 1
sudo pmset -a powernap 1

Tried your instruction but not solving the issue. The difference is now the usage of history does not show anything but the battery icon shows it drained battery like before. 

After many conversations with Apple support and giving the laptop to Macforum, they promised me to refund the laptop but again they called me saying it is not possible to refund it and I have to send the laptop to another service center !!!.

This is the last time I bought something directly from Apple. Very disappointed support.



After several conversations with apple support they sent the computer to a repair center in Czchek and they returned the laptop after one day.I have been told the issue has been resolved. Not only the issue has not been solved, Now I have two scratches on the body on my new laptop.

Disappointed service from apple. Never buy apple products directly from Apple.

I even tried a clean install of Big Sur. Still have the problem. Talked to apple support. They suggested safe boot and clean installl. Both did not fix the issue. Saw the issue with no third party apps installed soon after a clean MacOS install.

a solution? i'd untick power nap, and i have a gmail account for mails an calendar, i'd go to gmail web and i'd trash spams, and 3 mails in rough draft folder

my mac mini is sleeping for 20 mn non stop (the 1st)

if it can help...

ps: sorry for my bad english, i'm french

I solved my issue. I was using the MacBook Pro in clamshell mode connected to an external monitor through the thunderbolt port. My external monitor has a speaker. For some reason, this speaker was assigned to play system alerts.. so when Mac is sleeping and when the display is sleeping if Mac plays an alert, it wakes up the monitor. I ran the midi setup app under utilities and changed the alert audio device to internal speakers. Now my display doesn’t wake up anymore.

I have exactly same issue, these are generated in my logs every few seconds when my Macbook Air M1 is sleeping. Also two different reasons NUB.SPMISw3IRQ and SMC.OutboxNotEmpty.

This results in battery drain about 2-3 % for 7-8 hours of sleeping. Very annoying.

It's definitely m1's issue. I tried to connected to docking station to mbp. My external mouse is still light up after a few minutes even I didn't have monitor connected.I checked the wake up log. It shows NUB.SPMISw3IRQ and SMC.OutboxNotEmpty like you say. So i have to turn off the monitor to make sure it won't wake up automatically by mbp. A good way to solve this issue is that close the sleep mode in your monitor osd. Or don't put MacBook into sleep, just ctrl + command + Q then press Esc. This will turn off your display.