macOS Scan Device command stays In Progress even after successful check-in while Mac is asleepSolved

Hello @boris ,

Yes, this behavior can occur on macOS laptops.

macOS may briefly wake in a low-power background state to perform limited network activity, such as checking in with the MDM server. That short background wake can make the device appear online or recently checked in.

However, actions like Scan Device or Install Application generally require the Mac to be fully awake with an active user session and stable network availability. During a short background wake cycle, the Mac may not stay awake long enough to collect a full inventory, download content, or process queued actions. As a result, the scan can remain In Progress until the device is actively used again.

Once the user opens the lid, wakes the Mac, and logs in or starts using it, the device should process the pending MDM actions from the queue automatically.

Regards,
Simon Scott
Hexnode UEM

Okayy, is there any way to make Hexnode fully wake the Mac remotely? The device is with a remote user and they’re not currently working, so I can’t ask them to open the lid or click Sync in the Hexnode app.

There is currently no cloud-based method for Hexnode, or any MDM, to force a sleeping MacBook to fully wake over the internet.

When a Mac enters sleep, macOS reduces power usage and may shut down or heavily restrict network interfaces. If the MacBook lid is closed, this behavior is even more restrictive. Because the device is not maintaining a full network session, it cannot reliably receive and act on a remote wake command from a cloud MDM server.

If the command is already queued, the recommended approach is to leave it pending. The Mac will pick it up when the user physically wakes the device and it establishes a full connection again.

What if the lid is open but the Mac has gone to sleep? Also, macOS has a “Wake for Network Access” option. If that’s enabled, shouldn’t Hexnode be able to wake the device for scans or app installs?

If the lid is open but the Mac is asleep, the practical result is still the same for cloud-initiated MDM actions. macOS is still in a low-power sleep state and may not keep the network stack available long enough for commands like Scan Device or Install Application to run.

The “Wake for Network Access” setting is based on Wake-on-LAN behavior. It allows a Mac to wake when it receives a suitable wake signal on the local network. This requires the wake packet to be sent within the same local network segment or through a network setup that specifically supports forwarding Wake-on-LAN traffic.

Hexnode UEM is a cloud platform communicating over the internet, so it cannot broadcast a local Wake-on-LAN packet into the user’s home or office network. Most routers also block this type of broadcast traffic from the public internet.

So, enabling “Wake for Network Access” can help with local network wake scenarios, but it does not allow Hexnode to wake a sleeping Mac remotely over the internet. For remote Macs, scans and installs will run after the user wakes the device and the Mac reconnects normally.