Dantrolene for MAC
Free, open-source menu bar app that keeps your Mac from locking on your home Wi-Fi and restores normal locking on every other network.
Dantrolene Overview
Dantrolene is a menu bar app that stops your Mac's screen from locking while you are on your home Wi-Fi. You choose the home network once from the menu bar; in automatic mode the Mac stays unlocked there, and as soon as you join any other network, normal locking returns. The display still dims and goes dark after your usual idle time, and a touch of the mouse or keyboard brings it back without a password. Dantrolene steps aside when Zoom, a presentation or another app keeps the display awake.
Dantrolene is made by Mado Kagerou, the developer of Phosphene and Adrafinil, and is free and open source under the MIT license. It makes no network requests and stores the network name only on your Mac. Version 1.3 reshapes the popover to fit macOS 27. It needs macOS 26 or later and Location Services permission, which macOS requires for reading Wi-Fi names. The build is signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple. Two honest limits: another hotspot can use the same name as your home network, so this is a convenience feature, not a security check, and its display dimming uses private Apple frameworks that may break after a macOS update. An App Store edition also exists; it is sandboxed and dims with black overlays instead of the real backlight.
Key Features
Dantrolene keeps the lock screen out of your way at home.
- Home network rule: no screen lock on your chosen Wi-Fi, normal locking everywhere else.
- Three modes: automatic, always on and off.
- Idle dimming: the display still dims and turns dark after your usual idle time.
- Real backlight control: the GitHub edition dims the display and keyboard backlight.
- Respects other apps: yields when Zoom, a presentation or another app holds the display awake.
- Closed-lid hold: with Adrafinil, keeps the Mac awake with its lid closed on your home network.
- Private by design: no network requests, and the network name stays on your Mac.
- Launch at login: set it once and it starts with your Mac.
What’s New in Version 1.3
Dantrolene 1.3 brings the popover in line with macOS 27.
- The popover fits macOS 27's glass design
- Settings, Quit and Back buttons are round again, the same height as the Wi-Fi and Lid hold chips
- The app builds with Xcode 27
Dantrolene FAQ
Is Dantrolene free?
Yes. Dantrolene is free and open source under the MIT license.
Which macOS version does Dantrolene need?
macOS 26 or later.
How does Dantrolene know I am at home?
You choose your home Wi-Fi network in the menu bar (Choose…, then Set as Home). In automatic mode the screen does not lock on that network; on any other network, normal locking resumes.
Why does Dantrolene ask for Location Services?
macOS requires Location Services permission for an app to read Wi-Fi network names. Dantrolene uses the network name, not your location.
Is Dantrolene a security feature?
No. Another hotspot can use the same name as your home network, and the setting does not authenticate the network. It is a convenience feature.
Does the display still turn off?
Yes. The display still dims and goes dark after your usual idle time. Touch the mouse or keyboard to return without a password.
Can it keep my MacBook awake with the lid closed?
Yes, together with Adrafinil from the same developer: on your home network the Mac stays awake with its lid closed, even without an external display, and sleep resumes when you leave that network.
What is the difference between the GitHub and App Store editions?
The GitHub edition controls the real display and keyboard backlight and supports closed-lid holds through Adrafinil. The App Store edition is sandboxed and dims the display with black overlay windows, so the panel stays lit.
Could a macOS update break Dantrolene?
Its display dimming uses private Apple frameworks, so it may break after a macOS update until the app is updated.
Where does the Dantrolene download on dantrolene.FULLMAC.app come from?
The download button leads to the official Dantrolene page at https://kagerou.glass/dantrolene/. dantrolene.FULLMAC.app does not change or repackage the app.
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