Stop Your Mac from Automatically Turning On When Opening the Lid or Plugging into Power

If you’re using a Mac laptop with Apple silicon, you may have noticed that it automatically powers on when you open the lid or connect it to power. While this is a convenient feature for many, some users prefer more control over when their Mac boots up. With macOS Sequoia 15 or later, Apple has finally provided an official way to disable this automatic startup—without affecting the ability to turn on your Mac using the keyboard or trackpad.
Why Would You Want to Disable Automatic Startup?
There are several reasons why you might want to prevent your Mac from turning on automatically:

• You prefer to boot up manually and only when needed.
• You want to conserve power by not accidentally starting up the machine.
• You work in a setup where frequent lid opening doesn’t mean you want to turn on your Mac.
  Whatever your reason, Apple has now made it possible to tweak this setting with a few simple Terminal commands.
  How to Prevent Automatic Startup on Your Mac

1. Check Your macOS Version
   First, make sure your Mac is running macOS Sequoia 15 or later. This feature is only available on newer macOS versions, so if you’re running an older system, update before proceeding.
2. Open Terminal
   Launch the Terminal app, which you can find in Applications > Utilities.
3. Enter the Command Based on Your Preference
   Apple provides different options depending on what kind of automatic startup behavior you want to disable. In Terminal, type one of the following commands and press Return:
   Disable Startup When Opening the Lid or Plugging into Power
   sudo nvram BootPreference=%00
   Disable Startup Only When Opening the Lid
   sudo nvram BootPreference=%01
   Disable Startup Only When Connecting to Power
   sudo nvram BootPreference=%02
   After entering the command, Terminal will prompt you to enter your administrator password. Note that the password won’t be visible as you type—just press Return when done.
4. Undo the Changes (If Needed)
   If you ever decide to re-enable automatic startup, simply enter the following command in Terminal:
   sudo nvram -d BootPreference
   This will restore your Mac’s default behavior, allowing it to turn on when you open the lid or plug it into power.
   Take Control of Your Mac’s Startup Behavior
   For years, Mac users have relied on workarounds to disable automatic startup, but with macOS Sequoia 15, Apple has finally provided a built-in way to manage this feature. Whether you want complete manual control or just need to prevent unwanted startups in certain scenarios, these Terminal commands give you the flexibility to customize your Mac experience.
   What do you think about this new setting? Let us know in the comments!