How to Change Your Screensaver on a Mac
Screensavers on macOS are easy to customize, but the exact steps depend on which version of macOS you're running — and the options available have shifted meaningfully across recent releases. Here's a clear walkthrough of how screensavers work on a Mac, where to find the settings, and what factors shape your experience.
What Screensavers Actually Do on macOS
The term "screensaver" is a holdover from the CRT monitor era, when static images could burn into the display over time. Modern screens don't have that problem, but screensavers remain useful for privacy (hiding your screen when you step away), aesthetics (displaying artwork or photos), and triggering automatic lock after a set idle period.
On a Mac, screensavers run after a period of inactivity you define. They're separate from — but often paired with — your display sleep and screen lock settings.
How to Open Screensaver Settings
The location of screensaver settings depends on your macOS version:
macOS Ventura, Sonoma, and Later (macOS 13+)
Apple reorganized System Preferences into System Settings starting with macOS Ventura.
- Click the Apple menu (🍎) in the top-left corner
- Select System Settings
- In the left sidebar, click Screen Saver
- Browse the available screensavers in the right panel
- Click any screensaver to preview it
- Adjust the "Start after" dropdown to set your idle timer
- Click Options (if available) to customize that specific screensaver's behavior
macOS Monterey and Earlier (macOS 12 and Below)
- Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner
- Select System Preferences
- Click Desktop & Screen Saver
- Select the Screen Saver tab
- Choose a screensaver from the left panel — a preview appears on the right
- Set the "Start after" timer using the dropdown menu
- Click Screen Saver Options to adjust settings specific to the selected screensaver
What You Can Customize
Regardless of macOS version, you generally have control over:
| Setting | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Screensaver style | Choose from built-in options like Flurry, Drift, or Shuffle |
| Start timer | How long the Mac is idle before the screensaver activates |
| Show with clock | Overlays the current time on the screensaver |
| Source for photos | For photo-based screensavers, choose a folder or Photos album |
| Screen lock on wake | Requires password when screensaver dismisses |
The "Require password after sleep or screen saver begins" option lives in a different location — in System Settings > Lock Screen (Ventura+) or System Preferences > Security & Privacy (older macOS).
The Built-In Screensaver Options
macOS ships with several screensaver categories:
- Landscape and aerial screensavers — high-resolution video loops, similar to Apple TV's aerial screensavers. These require a decent internet connection the first time they download assets.
- Photo-based screensavers — shuffle through your Photos library, a specific album, or any folder of images on your Mac
- Abstract/animated screensavers — older options like Flurry, Arabesque, or Drift that generate animated visuals
- Message screensaver — displays a custom text message across the screen
macOS Sonoma introduced shuffle screensavers and landscape screensavers with more cinematic options, expanding what was available in earlier releases.
Third-Party and Custom Screensavers
You're not limited to what ships with macOS. Third-party screensavers exist as .saver files and install by:
- Downloading the
.saverfile - Double-clicking it — macOS will prompt you to install it system-wide or for your user account only
- It then appears in your screensaver list under Screen Saver settings
⚠️ Only install screensavers from sources you trust. Because .saver files run with screen-level access, malicious ones are a known attack vector. Stick to well-known developers or open-source options with verifiable code.
Factors That Affect Your Screensaver Experience
Not every Mac handles screensavers identically. A few variables matter:
macOS version — The Settings UI, screensaver library, and available options differ noticeably between macOS 12 and 14. Aerial-style video screensavers, for example, are richer in newer releases.
Mac hardware — Video and animated screensavers are GPU-accelerated. On older Macs or those with integrated graphics, complex screensavers may cause the fan to spin up. On Apple Silicon Macs, even intensive screensavers tend to run efficiently.
Storage and bandwidth — Aerial and landscape screensavers cache high-resolution video locally. If your startup drive is nearly full, these screensavers may not download or display correctly.
Multiple displays — If you run an external monitor alongside your MacBook, screensaver behavior can differ per-display. macOS lets the screensaver run on all connected screens, but some third-party screensavers handle multi-monitor setups inconsistently.
Energy and sleep settings — If your display is set to sleep before your screensaver activates, you'll never actually see it. Check that your screensaver timer is set to trigger before your display sleep timer.
When the Screensaver Doesn't Start
If your screensaver isn't triggering as expected, common culprits include:
- A video or audio app that's actively preventing idle (streaming apps, video calls, and presentations often do this)
- The "Start after" timer set to Never
- A connected external device keeping the system awake
- Hot corners configured to disable the screensaver — check System Settings > Desktop & Screensaver > Hot Corners (or the equivalent in your macOS version)
The screensaver system on macOS is more layered than it first appears — what feels like one setting actually intersects with display sleep, lock screen behavior, energy settings, and even what apps are running in the background. Which of those variables are most relevant depends entirely on how your Mac is set up and what you're trying to accomplish.