What is the keyboard shortcut to sleep display on the Macbook Air?

Open `System Preferences` -> `Keyboard` -> `Shortcuts` -> `App Shortcuts`. Then click on the plus ➕ sign under the white box that has the different options in there. Name it 'Sleep' and give it the ⌘⌥F12 command (cmd + opt + F12). You can set it to whatever you like but most keyboards already map F12 to the eject key so if you get a different keyboard it may work already by default. Remember to also change your settings to require your password after a set time after going to sleep. Hope this helps, I searched for awhile to find out how to do this and couldn't find any good answers.

You can immediately put your computer to sleep in Mac OS X by pressing Command-Option-Eject.

On the Air there's no eject button (as the OP stated in his post).

joefinan wrote:

On the Air there's no eject button (as the OP stated in his post).

Sorry about that. Using an external keyboard.

joefinan wrote:

On the Air there's no eject button (as the OP stated in his post).

Then just tap the power button it gives a few options, one being to sleep the Mac. What could be easier.

The OP wants to sleep the DISPLAY, not the computer.

I don't think there is a shortcut anymore for sleeping the display without an eject key.

Perhaps you can assign "eject" to a specific key that you don't use, like play/pause.

The power button displays the Sleep/Restart/Shutdown dialog. If you then press S the Mac will sleep.

Yes you are right, many people here don't seem to read what is asked, so once again.

We want to SLEEP the DISPLAY NOT the MBA.

On laptops with an Eject key this was done with Control + Shift + Eject but the MBA has no DVD drive so no Eject key.

Has Apple abandoned this key shortcut combination for the MBA?

Yeah indeed, I would like to know also. No help on this? 😢

jp^_^ wrote:

Yeah indeed, I would like to know also. No help on this? 😢

What about a "Hot Corner". System Preferences\Display and Screen Saver\Screen Saver\ Lower Left hand corner select Hot Corners. Pick your Corner and selcet "Put Display To Sleep". works well for me.

I wish there would be shortcut for this, as in my older macbook air has... anyhow this is better than nothing.

Thnx

jp^_^ wrote:

I wish there would be shortcut for this, as in my older macbook air has... anyhow this is better than nothing.

Thnx

Your welcome !

Looks like this topic has already been covered before:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3254687?answerId=15934173022#15934173022

My MBA has an eject button, but the newer one does not. I was going to post a link to all the keyboard shortcuts on a Mac, but that wouldn't apply to a newer Mac without the eject button. I usually just close the lid, but you'd like to only put the display to sleep. I just tried that Control>Shift>Eject button shortcut myself and it worked well. I read all of the posts before responding too...

Sly

Sorry for being a Johnny-Come-Lately to this thread, but I just found it.

I do not like using a Hot Corner (alone) because it is too easy to inadvertently sleep the screen by random movement of the the cursor. However, there is a solution....

You can add a "modifier key" (e.g., the "Command" key) to the hot corner sequence so that moving the cursor to the chosen hot corner does NOT sleep the screen unless you also push and hold the modifier key.

To add a modifier key, open "System Preferences", go to "Desktop & Screen Saver", choose the "Screen Saver" tab, and click on "Hot Corners…". Open the dropdown for the corner you prefer. Before clicking "Put Display to Sleep" hold down the Command key (or another modifier key*) and then click "Put Display to Sleep".

Voilà! Now the display will sleep only if you hold down the Command key before moving the cursor to the chosen Hot Corner.

*I believe the only modifier keys available for this are Shift, Control, Option and Command -- you can use any one of them or combinations.