How to stop macOS 26 from waking my system up every hour?

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Level 1

61 points

How to stop macOS 26 from waking my system up every hour?

Hi all,

This is driving me nuts!

Every setting related to automatic wakes is turned off, every notification is turned off, automatic Time Machine is turned off.... yet the system wakes up every single hour!

How to get rid of all this?! The system automatically sets invisible wake requests. I remove the scheduled events, and they just keep getting added back.


2025-11-05 01:51:02.290388+0100 0x68109    Default     0x0                  115    8    powerd: [com.apple.powerd:wakeRequests] Selected RTC wake request: {

    UserVisible = 0;

    appPID = 1056;

    eventtype = wake;

    scheduledby = "com.apple.alarm.user-invisible-com.apple.calaccessd.travelEngine.periodicRefreshTimer";

    time = "2025-11-05 09:02:51 +0000";

}

2025-11-05 01:51:02.290633+0100 0x68109    Default     0x0                  0      0    kernel: (AppleSMCRTC) SMCRTC: [MaintenanceWakeCalendarDate] 2025/11/5 2:45:26 (0)

2025-11-05 01:51:02.290640+0100 0x68109    Default     0x0                  0      0    kernel: (AppleSMCRTC) SMCRTC: [MaintenanceWakeCalendarDate] 2025/11/5 2:45:26 (0)

2025-11-05 01:51:02.290644+0100 0x68109    Default     0x0                  0      0    kernel: PMRD: MaintenanceWakeCalendarDate 2025/11/5 02:45:26

2025-11-05 01:51:02.290647+0100 0x68109    Default     0x0                  0      0    kernel: PMRD: next alarm (MaintenanceWakeCalendarDate) 2025/11/5 02:45:26

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 26.1

Posted on Nov 5, 2025 3:06 AM

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Answer 1

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,054 points

Nov 14, 2025 5:42 AM in response to musicadi

already wrote two times that I reinstalled the OS from Recovery, choosing the option "Reinstall OS", so the system itself is clean.

The system was “clean“ before you reinstalled macOS. There is really no way the system can be unclean as it is mounted read only from a sealed snapshot. There is nothing that can modify it nor is there any way it can be corrupted as it is not read from disc and then rewritten to disc.

If you have installed any third-party system modifications, reinstalling macOS will not remove them.

unless the original installation was bad reinstalling macOS is futile.

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Answer 2

musicadi Author

Level 1

61 points

Nov 5, 2025 12:58 PM in response to Owl-53

The only issue is that, as I wrote in my original post, all related options are turned off, including "Time to travel", so it makes absolutely no sense for the calendar to set a refresh timer every hour for something that is turned off.

So no, it is not "totally normal".

Weird how I now have 3 replies from 3 different people in a support community, and none of them are actually trying to answer my question, which was: how do I get rid of all this?

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Answer 3

Owl-53

Level 10

102,223 points

Nov 5, 2025 1:23 PM in response to musicadi

Then, if your not pleased with the work of we volunteers

Try your hand at an AI / LLM Model - proceed with Caution, I dare say

Copy and past your question and body of your question into the Ai/LMM

I know I have done this on your question and some of the information was most interesting

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Answer 4

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,054 points

Nov 7, 2025 4:33 AM in response to musicadi

Weird how I now have 3 replies from 3 different people in a support community, and none of them are actually trying to answer my question, which was: how do I get rid of all this?

Has it then not dawned on you that you probably can’t. You should contact Apple Support.

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Answer 5

musicadi Author

Level 1

61 points

Nov 7, 2025 5:10 AM in response to Barney-15E

Has it not dawned on you that I have already contacted them?

I asked a simple question: how do I remove this? Several replies later, still no answer, just deflections and now even deleted posts.

If the answer is “you can't”, why not say it clearly instead of hiding behind “contact support”? This looks more like damage control than community support.

Now, if you can't, the next logical question is: why not?! Why does TravelEngine set recurring wake alarms when it should be silent, since the associated function disabled? Or is it that it has some hidden functions too?!

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Answer 6

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,054 points

Nov 7, 2025 7:04 AM in response to musicadi

creoairer44 wrote:

Has it not dawned on you that I have already contacted them?

I asked a simple question: how do I remove this? Several replies later, still no answer, just deflections and now even deleted posts.

If the answer is “you can't”, why not say it clearly instead of hiding behind “contact support”? This looks more like damage control than community support.

Now, if you can't, the next logical question is: why not?! Why does TravelEngine set recurring wake alarms when it should be silent, since the associated function disabled? Or is it that it has some hidden functions too?!

The answer to all of your questions is nobody here knows how it works. You need to talk to Apple to find out how to fix your problem. I’m sure there’s many times mine wakes up to do maintenance and I don’t care.

since we didn’t write the software and we have no connection to Apple whatsoever, all we can do is guess at ways to stop it. Obviously everything people have suggested does not stop it so the logical conclusion is there’s no way to stop it.

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Answer 7

musicadi Author

Level 1

61 points

Nov 13, 2025 3:07 AM in response to Owl-53

Didn't work. SMCRTC still setting wake alarms every single hour, while the Mac is supposed to be "sleeping".

Alarm set

2025-11-13 00:27:47.618026+0100 0xa302     Default     0x0                  0      0    kernel: [ 3473.278800]: SMCRTC: setAlarmEnable 0xe0000280
2025-11-13 00:27:47.618029+0100 0xa302     Default     0x0                  0      0    kernel: [ 3473.281243]: Request to set alarm in 1765 secs
2025-11-13 00:27:47.618033+0100 0xa302     Default     0x0                  0      0    kernel: [ 3473.281248]: SMCRTC: enabled wake alarm (MaintenanceWakeCalendarDate) in 1765 seconds

Alarm fires

2025-11-13 00:58:28.307140+0100 0xaa40     Default     0x0                  0      0    kernel: (AppleACPIPlatform) AppleACPIPlatformPower Wake reason: EC.RTC (Alarm)

New alarm set

2025-11-13 00:58:27.758532+0100 0xabcc     Default     0x0                  0      0    kernel: [ 5313.409313]: SMCRTC: setAlarmEnable 0xe0000280
2025-11-13 00:58:27.758535+0100 0xabcc     Default     0x0                  0      0    kernel: [ 5313.411716]: Request to set alarm in 2975 secs
2025-11-13 00:58:27.758538+0100 0xabcc     Default     0x0                  0      0    kernel: [ 5313.411721]: SMCRTC: enabled wake alarm (MaintenanceWakeCalendarDate) in 2975 seconds

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Answer 8

Nov 13, 2025 4:17 AM in response to musicadi

musicadi wrote:

Does really nobody know how to actually stop this?! Why is Apple hosting this support community if there is actually no support happening?

If you want support from Apple, go here:

Official Apple Support

I still have no idea why you care that your Mac briefly wakes up periodically. If it bothers you that much, shut it down when you’re not using it. Regardless, good luck.

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Answer 9

musicadi Author

Level 1

61 points

Nov 13, 2025 7:21 AM in response to neuroanatomist

I think you misread my question. It puzzles my why this forum exists, if nobody can actually help apart from telling me it's totally normal, or to reinstall, or to download EtreCheck :) What's the actual purpose of this forum then, and what kind of help can people get here?

Anyway, I care because there is a menu point that says "Sleep". I select that menu point and, instead of sleeping until I decide to wake it up, my Mac wakes up by itself every hour, adds alarms for- and performs tasks that I had specifically turned off. It adds wake alarms despite me constantly removing them. It bugs me that, as the owner and user of this device I paid a lot of money for, my decision to put it to sleep until I wake it up is not being respected.

As for why I want it to sleep instead of shutting down: I'm using it with an external monitor and the lid closed, and it's on a shelf of my desk that doesn't allow me to open the lid. If it's sleeping, I can easily wake it with the Magic Keyboard or Mouse. If I'd shut it down, I'd have to take it out, open the lid and press the power button.

I hope this answers your question.

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Answer 10

Owl-53

Level 10

102,223 points

Nov 13, 2025 7:49 AM in response to neuroanatomist

neuroanatomist wrote:

musicadi wrote:

Does really nobody know how to actually stop this?! Why is Apple hosting this support community if there is actually no support happening?

If you want support from Apple, go here:

Official Apple Support

I still have no idea why you care that your Mac briefly wakes up periodically. If it bothers you that much, shut it down when you’re not using it. Regardless, good luck.

I shall leave this question to other Human Being and Not AL /LMMs to figure this out.

Good luck my friend

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Answer 11

musicadi Author

Level 1

61 points

Nov 13, 2025 8:07 AM in response to neuroanatomist

It's not just my specific question. I browsed the forum before starting the thread, and there are many similar issues from other people, but the threads I found are all closed and the issues are not resolved.

I don't use automatic updates, nor Find My Mac. I don't want a software deciding what it think is best for me, but I guess that's exactly the path we're headed. Your fridge is ordering 0% fat milk because the scale told it you need to lose weight :)

I already tried hibernatemode 25. Still wakes up, the only difference is that it stays up for a bit longer.

Oh, well, I guess I'll just have to live with this :)

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Answer 12

Owl-53

Level 10

102,223 points

Nov 13, 2025 8:26 AM in response to musicadi

musicadi wrote:

Reinstalled from Recovery > Reinstall OS

Not sure what an EtreCheck report would tell you about why the macOS kernel keeps setting Maintenance wake alarms every hour, but here it is :)

<EtreCheck report.log>

From that report

Arrive at you own conclusions visa vie " Run the computer without installing any additional software and without restoring from your Time Machine backups.

Install Date Name (Version)

2025-09-20 XProtectCloudKitUpdate (5315) - XProtectUpdateService

2025-09-20 XProtectPlistConfigData (5315) - Software update

2025-09-23 macOS 26.0 (26.0) - Software update

What had been put forward by one and all was done in good faith

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Answer 13

HWTech

Level 9

68,474 points

Nov 13, 2025 9:35 AM in response to musicadi

FYI, Apple support has no clue about the inner workings of macOS. You are asking a question about the deep inner workings of macOS which only the Apple engineers & developers of macOS may know....they don't usually share information to the public. Best case is reviewing some of the developer information Apple provides in their developer program....perhaps some information resides there for these behaviors, but if you are not a developer those articles will likely be very cryptic & confusing.

Best case to minimize your issues is not to use any of the apps associated with those wake events or any apps/services that may be accessing those Apple systems. More than likely there is no way to prevent it if they are due to low level system maintenance tasks. Same goes for third party apps that may invoke such things as well.

The fact that no one from the community has been able to provide you any relevant tips speaks volumes. It means that what you are asking is probably not documented (or is very poorly documented) and has no solution.

Why are you so concerned about this? macOS has been doing this for years now. I discovered probably 10 years ago that Macs don't fully sleep through the night. macOS is not known for being highly customizable. If you want customized behavior, then you should look for another OS which may do what you want & allow you to configure to your preferences.

Good luck on your investigation.....you are going to need it.

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Answer 14

musicadi Author

Level 1

61 points

Nov 13, 2025 12:29 PM in response to Owl-53

Again... I reinstalled from Recovery two days ago. I haven't restored from a Time Machine backup.

Also from the EtreCheck report:

2025-11-11 macOS 26.1 (26.1) - Software update <- this is when I entered recovery and chose Reinstall macOS.

From the log:

2025-11-11 09:16:09.111000+0100 0x7b0      Default     0x0                  329    30   softwareupdated: (SoftwareUpdateMacController) [com.apple.su:SERVER] [HandleCommandQueryState] Query state completed for recoveryOS manager: {
    CurrentFSMState = RecoveryOSReadyToBegin;
} with result: SUCCESS

I still don't get it how anything on that report can tell you why macOS is setting wake alarms and how any 3rd party software can change the behavior of the core processes of macOS?

Anyway, I'll just have to find the solution somewhere else.

All the best!

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Answer 15

Owl-53

Level 10

102,223 points

Nov 13, 2025 1:21 PM in response to musicadi

Finder >> Go >> Utilities >> System Information applet

On left scroll down to Installation category

On Right look for all listings for macOS

In theory, had the machine been properly Wiped and Reinstalled

The Only listing for macOS installations should be macOS 26.1 and no others listed

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