./ala-shiban --dangerously-skip-permissions --yolo

ScreenSleep

A macOS menu bar app that dims your display to black after a period of inactivity, and snaps it back the instant you touch the keyboard or trackpad. It’s not a screensaver and not a lock screen — it only moves the backlight, so whatever was on screen is still there when it comes back, exactly as you left it.

Out of the box: dim after 15 minutes idle, fading to 0% brightness over 3 seconds. Dim delay, target brightness, undim level, and fade duration are all configurable from the menu.

ScreenSleep menu bar dropdown showing Auto Dimmer enabled, with Dim After, Dim To, Undim To, and Fade Over options
  • macOS 13 Ventura or later, Apple silicon or Intel
  • No Accessibility, Input Monitoring, or Screen Recording permissions required
  • Menu bar only, no Dock icon

Source, install instructions, and architecture notes are on GitHub: github.com/AlaShiban/screensleep.