Wake on Demand works fine. Wake for network access is trickier.

Yes, but there are distinctions between Intel and Apple Silicon models that matter.

Since macOS introduced Power Nap and Bonjour Sleep Proxy, MacBook Airs have supported Wake on Demand — that is, waking from sleep when a Bonjour service (like AirDrop, AirPlay, or file sharing) gets a request. This works on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs as long as they’re connected to power and the network.

The older “Wake for network access” (classic Wake-on-LAN) is what gets limited. On Intel MacBook Airs, you could send a magic packet from another device on the network and the Mac would wake. On Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3), Apple disabled classic Wake-on-LAN from sleep. It only works in a few specific power states (like when the Mac is fully asleep but not “standby” deep sleep). The logic is that the battery life gains from the M-series chips outweigh the convenience of network wake for most people.

So if you want your MacBook Air to wake up when someone tries to access a shared folder or stream music, you’re fine. If you need to send a magic packet to turn it on remotely after it’s been asleep for a while, it probably won’t work on an M-series Air. You’re better off leaving it plugged in and using “Wake for network access” settings in Energy Saver — but even then, it’s hit or miss.

Test it yourself before you rely on it.