Wifi stays connected when Lid is closed on new M1 Mac Air

Question

Wifi stays connected when Lid is closed on new M1 Mac Air

So on every other Mac I have owned, once I close the lid the computer goes into sleep mode and cuts off all connections and saves all programs to the memory. A quick search on google shows this is the case and even on these forums, as the main topic is how do you keep the wifi connection alive when the lid is shut.

So why does my router and phone app show that my new M1 mac Airbook which is straight out of the box and I've not fiddled with the settings remain connected to the wifi. So much so that when I open the lid, there will be emails and chats that have been downloaded.

I spoke to a tech guy that said its cause I had "Auto connect" ticked. This kind of worked, but it now also means I have to manually connect to the wifi network when I open the mac book.

Is this a new way of working, or is there something else going on. As I said, all other Macs I have owned, have disconnected from the networks when the computer goes to sleep. But this new M1 chip remains connected.

thanks.

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 11.6

Posted on Nov 7, 2021 1:55 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

1ssmith

Community Specialist

Nov 8, 2021 6:40 AM in response to animatedwallpaper

Hello animatedwallpaper,

From your post it appears you are concerned about your MacBook Air staying connected while the lid is closed.

There are couple of system settings to take a look at.

Click on the Apple Logo in the upper left corner. Then click System Preferences > Notifications & Focus. Click the Notifications tab. At the bottom, make sure that, "Allow notifications: When the display is sleeping", is not checked.

Next, go back to the main System Preferences pane. Click on Battery > Power Adapter. Uncheck, "Enable Power Nap while plugged into a power adapter".

Power Nap allows the computer to go check for emails and messages while sleeping. More information is available here: What is Power Nap on Mac? - Apple Support

If you check, "Wake for network access", the Mac should connect to Wi-Fi when it wakes up.

Cheers.

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Answer 2

Nov 14, 2021 6:14 AM in response to animatedwallpaper

Hello animatedwallpaper,

It is concerning that you do not have the Power Nap option under the preferences.

At this point, we would recommend that you Contact - Official Apple Support.

They are going to be in the best position to assist.

Have a good day.

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Answer 3

Nov 14, 2021 5:45 AM in response to animatedwallpaper

Thanks for this. However the problem is still happening.

I do not have the "enable Power Nap' option in my battery section of system preferences.

I thought Apple designed it so the computer cut network connections the minute it goes to sleep. So why am I still seeing it listed as active on my router as connected. But my other Apple computer or iPad is not shown when its in sleep mode.

Its really starting to annoy me now. It is def connected as I have emails and other notifications when I open the lid, even tho I have selected not for the computer to wake.

the battery also drops in power. down by 10% over the course of 24 hours. Surly if the computer is asleep 10% of power wouldn't be drained?

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Wifi stays connected when Lid is closed on new M1 Mac Air

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