BetterTouchToolNowPlaying2.app holds PreventUserIdleSystemSleep assertion indefinitely after recent updates (macOS won't sleep)
Since the BTT auto-update around Aug 18 (build 2026081801+), BetterTouchToolNowPlaying2.app gets stuck holding a PreventUserIdleSystemSleep assertion ("handling Apple event") for 10-16 hours without releasing, completely preventing macOS from sleeping — even with the lid closed.
Before the update: The applet would stall briefly but die on its own within minutes. Mac slept normally (30+ sleep cycles per night).
After the update: The applet holds the assertion continuously across reboots. pmset -g assertions shows it pinned for 10-16h straight. Sleep count drops to zero.
Key observations:
- No user-configured Now Playing widget — this is BTT's automatic behavior
- The applet appears to hang on an Apple event (possibly querying a media-playing app like Chrome with WebRTC audio), and never returns
- Reproduced consistently every night since Aug 18 across multiple BTT updates (up to build 2026082207)
- macOS 26.6.1, MacBook Pro M2 Pro, external display connected
Workaround: chmod -x on the applet binary stops BTT from launching it, and sleep resumes normally. But this gets reset on BTT updates.
Would it be possible to add a timeout for the Apple event call in the NowPlaying applet, or a toggle to disable it entirely? Happy to provide full pmset logs if needed.