Ask Different is a question and answer site for power users of Apple hardware and software. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
Is it harmful for a mac in any way to never put it to sleep, or to turn it off?
I have a macbook air and an iMac that I set to never sleep in the settings. Only the displays go to sleep. I turn them off once a month. I am afraid that they could be damaged over time if I keep doing it. Could it happen?
You can safely leave your Mac powered on all the time.
There is no practical damage or harm that will occur because the Mac is constantly running. Use your Mac as best suits your needs.
Restarting is helpful every so often – if only to install updates and clear out caches or temporary files.
As 1lann mentions, environmental factors like dust and heat build-up should be considered. Keep your Mac away from sources of dust, like limestone or sandstone walls, where the fans can draw in surprising amounts of particulate matter.
One way I can see potential damage is wear and tear of moving parts inside the computer, such as any hard disk drives and fans. Be aware that the fan may draw in a lot of dust if the computer is constantly running, and you may need to clean the inside of your computer at one point.
I administer a small network of Macs, servers and iOS devices and have been doing exactly the same thing for many years, I personally think (although can't confirm) that it adds longevity to the machine, I currently have a mac mini that is 8 years old running perfectly using this practice.
