Screen-off · Screen saver
The screen stays on past the set time, and the screen saver doesn't start. Handy when you have slides or a long document open.
Wake the cat, the screen stays on
Click the pixel cat in the corner of your desktop. While it's awake, screen-off, sleep and auto-lock don't kick in. Click it again to put it to sleep, and things go back to normal. Your Windows power settings stay as they are.
Click me
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2026-10-27
The cat is awake, so the screen stays on
This demo pretends the Windows screen timeout is set to 10 seconds. The cat and the menu look just like the real app.
What the awake cat stops
It only works while the cat is awake.
Put the cat to sleep or close the app, and Windows goes back to its own settings.
Sleep
Leave a long download or task running and step away, and the PC won't go to sleep. It has nothing to do with shutting down, so turn the PC off yourself when the work is done.
Auto-lock
Even on a PC set to lock when idle, it won't lock while the cat is awake.
Messenger "Away"
In a meeting you can just listen without moving the mouse, and your messenger status won't switch to Away.
How does it work?
While awake, it tells Windows that the display and system are still needed. And once you've been hands-off for 1 minute, it sends one press of F15, a key most keyboards don't have, so the idle timer starts counting from zero again.
The app always starts with a sleeping cat. Even if you left it awake when you closed it yesterday, it won't turn on by itself next time, so your screen never stays on without you knowing.
Windows stays as it is
- Doesn't change power options or sleep settings
- Doesn't touch your company's Group Policy
- Doesn't use admin rights
- Leaves nothing behind when you close it or restart
No window, no settings screen
The cat and its right-click menu are all there is.
Anything you change in the menu is saved right away.
Click to turn on · off
Click the sleeping cat and it stretches and gets up. Click again and it lies down to sleep. Click while it's changing and it goes right back.
Drag it where you like
Hold and drag the cat to move it, and it remembers the spot. It stays on screen, and if a monitor change leaves its spot off screen, it comes back to the default place (bottom right, above the taskbar).
Hide — hide the cat
Hides the cat and leaves only the notification area icon. Click the icon to turn it on and off; a gray icon means off. It starts hidden next time too.
Notification area icon — off · on
Cat size 100% · 200% · 400%
The default is 200%. It scales by your Windows scaling with crisp pixels, so it stays sharp on high-resolution monitors.
100%200%400%
Uptime on the taskbar
Pick a color under Uptime in the menu, and the time since Windows started shows as hours:minutes to the left of the notification area.
It's off by default.
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- 35:59 means 1 day, 11 hours and 59 minutes. It doesn't split into days; the hours keep growing, and from 100 hours it shows three digits.
- On a light taskbar it shows on a black panel; on a dark taskbar it shows just the digits. Unlit segments show faintly too, so it reads like a digital clock.
- Click the digits to turn it on and off, just like the cat. Right-click to open the same menu.
- This is the uptime Windows counts, so time spent asleep is included. On a PC with Fast startup on, it may keep counting even after you shut down and turn it on again. It isn't shown on a vertical taskbar.
App screens
The bottom right of the desktop and the taskbar are all there is to the app.
The clock and uptime are examples.
Common situations
I want the screen to stay on during a presentation or meeting
Click the cat once to wake it before you open your slides. When you're done, click again to put it to sleep. No need to touch the power settings on the projector or meeting room PC.
I leave a long download or task running and step away
Wake the cat, and the PC won't sleep while you're away, so the task keeps going. Put the cat to sleep when you're back. It has nothing to do with shutting down, so turn the PC off yourself when the task is done.
My messenger keeps switching to "Away"
If you only read or listen in a meeting without moving the mouse, your messenger marks you as Away. Keep the cat awake and that won't happen.
It's a work PC, so I can't change power settings
StayOn doesn't change Windows settings and doesn't use admin rights. Even on a PC where Group Policy sets the screen timeout, the screen stays on while the cat is awake.
The cat is in the way
Drag it wherever you like (it remembers the spot). Right-click → Cat size → 100% to make it small, or choose Hide to hide it and use only the notification area icon.
The cat is too small (4K monitor, etc.)
Right-click → Cat size → 400%. It scales by your Windows scaling with crisp pixels, so it stays sharp at any resolution.
I want the cat to show up every time the PC starts
In the installer version, right-click → check Run at boot. From the next boot, a sleeping cat appears when you sign in. In the portable version this menu is grayed out, so use the installer version.
I can't see the cat
If it's already running, running it again does nothing (there's only one cat). Check the corners of the screen and your other monitors. If you hid it, right-click the notification area icon and pick a size under Cat size to bring it back.
I want to close StayOn completely
Right-click → Exit. If the cat was awake, sleep prevention turns off too. If you just put the cat to sleep, the app stays open so you can wake it right away next time.
I want to check that it really works
If the cat is awake, it's working. To be sure, wait longer than the screen timeout set in Windows Settings → System → Power, and see if the screen stays on.
Download
Installer Recommended
- A sleeping cat appears as soon as setup finishes
- You can use Run at boot
- Position and size are saved to your user account and stay the same after updates
Portable (ZIP)
- Unzip it and run
StayOn.exe - Run at boot is grayed out (installer only)
- Settings are saved to your user account on this PC (
%APPDATA%\StayOn)
- Windows 10 · 11 32-bit · 64-bit
- Admin rights Not needed
- Internet Only checks for a new version at startup — works offline
- License Freeware — for work, home, school or government
Recent changes
Version 2.0.1
- Added a Windows tray icon, left-click to toggle running and stopped states and right-click to open the menu
- Added an option to hide the cat, with the setting preserved on next launch
- Added cumulative uptime in hours and minutes to the Windows taskbar, with eight color choices and an option to hide it
Version 2.0.0
- Redesigned the app for a lighter and more reliable experience
- Improved prevention of screen timeout, sleep mode, and unexpected Away status in apps such as Teams
- Added 100%, 200%, and 400% display size options
- Added automatic saving of window position and display size, and improved multi-monitor placement
Version 1.0.2
- Removed Delphi VCL Styles completely
- Resolved Direct2D errors occurring on specific computer environments
- Enhanced HiDPI optimization.
It doesn't update itself. At startup it tells you if there's a new version, and clicking [Yes] opens the download page.
FAQ
Does it change Windows settings?
No. It doesn't change power options, sleep settings or Group Policy. It only works while the app is running and the cat is awake. Put the cat to sleep or close the app, and everything is back to normal right away.
Does it need admin rights?
No. But while a window run as administrator is in front, that window may block the F15 key, so it may not stop your messenger from showing Away. Stopping screen-off and sleep still works.
Does sending the F15 key affect my work?
F15 is a key most keyboards don't have, so most programs don't use it. It only presses and releases it about once a minute, and only when the cat is awake and you've been hands-off for 1 minute. It never sends it while you're typing.
Is the cat awake on its own when I turn on the PC?
No. On/off isn't saved, so it always starts with a sleeping cat. It only remembers the position, cat size, uptime color and Run at boot.
Can I use it without the cat?
Choose Cat size → Hide, and the cat is hidden, leaving only the notification area icon. Click the icon to turn it on and off, and right-click it to open the same menu.
How is the app's language chosen?
It follows your Windows display language. If the app doesn't have that language, it shows in English.
What does it send over the internet?
It only checks once at startup whether there's a new version. It works the same with no connection.
If I run it twice, do I get two cats?
No. If it's already running, the second launch quietly closes.