Begin with a snapshot

Run pmset -g to print current settings, pmset -g live for the settings in use, and pmset -g custom to inspect configured values for available power sources. The local pmset manual also provides pmset -g cap to list supported power-management features and pmset -g batt or pmset -g ps for a power-source snapshot. These commands only read state.

Different Macs expose different settings. A value found in an article may be absent, unsupported, or have a different practical effect on your hardware. Read the local manual with man pmset because it matches the installed operating system more closely than a generic command list.

pmset -g
pmset -g live
pmset -g custom
pmset -g cap
pmset -g batt

Inspect events before changing policy

Use pmset -g log for power-management history, pmset -g assertions for active sleep-related assertions, and pmset -g sched for scheduled wake, sleep, shutdown, and power-on events. Each is a diagnostic view, not a causal explanation. An assertion or wake reason is evidence to investigate alongside timing and application activity.

Avoid copying sudo pmset recipes into a diagnostic session. The manual says processes can dynamically override settings with power assertions, and changes made with pmset persist. Prefer System Settings for an understood preference, and record the original configuration before any deliberate experiment.

pmset -g log
pmset -g assertions
pmset -g sched

How WattGuard fits

WattGuard reads sleep-related history and presents sleep, normal wake, dark wake, charge change, wake reasons, and completed blockers together. Reading that history does not change power settings; separate protected controls are available in Full. Its comparisons use prior sessions as a baseline, while a follow-up session after one intentional change gives stronger evidence than a before-and-after guess.

Sources

Explore WattGuard