wintertime
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Description:
Utility to freeze apps running in the background to save battery
Type: Cask  |  Latest Version: 0.0.7@0  |  Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: System utilities
Tags: battery macos utility performance background freezer
Install: brew install --cask wintertime
About:
Wintertime is a command-line utility designed to optimize battery life on Apple Silicon Macs by automatically freezing background applications. It monitors resource usage and pauses non-essential processes, preserving system memory and CPU cycles without terminating the apps. This allows users to maintain workflow continuity while significantly reducing power consumption during mobile use.
Key Features:
  • Automatic background process freezing
  • Battery life optimization for Apple Silicon
  • Memory state preservation (pause/resume)
  • CLI-based management and monitoring
Use Cases:
  • Extending battery life on MacBook during travel or commutes
  • Reducing resource usage when running heavy development workloads
  • Managing background tabs and apps in resource-constrained environments
Alternatives:
  • App Tamer – Provides GUI-based process throttling with manual controls, whereas Wintertime focuses on CLI automation
  • macOS App Nap – Native OS feature that Wintertime enhances with more aggressive and user-controlled freezing capabilities
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Jul 7, 2024 11:52pm 0.0.7 0 VERSION_BUMP 039f597b