Set a video file as your Mac screensaver in three steps
You can use any video file stored on your Mac as a screensaver by placing it in a specific folder and selecting it in System Settings. macOS treats video files the same way it treats built-in screensavers — you point to the file, choose how long before the screensaver starts, and it plays on loop when your Mac is idle. The video will play at full screen with audio muted, regardless of the original file format or length.
This approach keeps your screensaver personal without installing third-party software or giving apps permission to change your system settings. The video stays on your Mac; nothing uploads or syncs to the cloud unless you choose to store it there.
Key Takeaways
- Video files must be placed in the /Library/Screen Savers/ folder on your Mac before they appear as screensaver options.
- macOS plays videos on a loop at full screen with sound off, so choose videos that work well without audio or that repeat smoothly.
- You can set different screensavers for different users on the same Mac, and each person's choice stays separate in their own account.
- The screensaver starts after your chosen idle time (usually 5 to 20 minutes) and stops as soon as you move the mouse or press a key.
Locate the screensaver folder on your Mac
Open Finder and press Command + Shift + G to open the "Go to Folder" dialog. Type /Library/Screen Savers/ and press Enter. This folder holds all screensaver files your Mac recognizes — both built-in ones and any you add yourself. If the folder does not exist, create it by typing the path and clicking Create Folder when prompted.
You are now looking at the location where macOS searches for screensavers. Any video file you place here will appear in your screensaver list within seconds. You do not need to restart your Mac or log out.
Convert your video to a supported format if needed
macOS screensavers work best with MP4 files, but also accept MOV, M4V, and WebM formats. If your video is in AVI, MKV, WMV, or another format, you will need to convert it first. The free tool HandBrake (available at handbrake.fr) converts almost any video format to MP4 in a few clicks — open the file, choose MP4 from the format list, and click Start.
You do not need to change resolution or frame rate. A video that plays normally on your Mac will work as a screensaver. If the file is very large (over 500 MB), conversion will take longer, but the screensaver will still play smoothly once it is in place.
Move your video file into the screensaver folder
Drag your video file from wherever it is stored (Downloads, Documents, Desktop) directly into the /Library/Screen Savers/ folder you opened in Finder. You can also right-click the file, choose Copy, navigate to the folder, and paste it there. The file stays in that folder permanently — moving it out will remove it from your screensaver list.
If you want to keep a copy of the original video elsewhere on your Mac, you can do that. The screensaver folder just needs one copy to work. Give the file a clear name like "Ocean Waves" or "Forest Walk" so you recognize it in the screensaver settings.
Select your video in System Settings
Open System Settings (the gear icon in your Dock or Applications folder). Click Lock Screen in the left sidebar, then click the Screensaver button. You will see a list of available screensavers — your video file should appear here with its filename as the name. Click it to select it.
A preview window will show your video playing. If it does not appear in the list, go back to Finder, confirm the file is in /Library/Screen Savers/, and check that the filename ends with .mp4, .mov, .m4v, or .webm. Then return to System Settings and the list should refresh.
Set the idle time before the screensaver starts
Below the screensaver preview, you will see a dropdown menu labeled Start after. Choose how many minutes of inactivity you want before the screensaver turns on — common choices are 5, 10, or 20 minutes. If you set it to 1 minute, the screensaver will start very quickly when you step away. If you set it to Never, the screensaver will not start automatically, though you can still trigger it manually by moving your cursor to a hot corner (if you have one set up).
This setting applies only to your user account. If other people use your Mac, they can set their own screensaver and idle time in their own account without affecting yours.
Control what happens when the screensaver is running
While your video screensaver plays, your Mac is still awake and running — the screensaver does not put it to sleep. If you want your Mac to sleep after the screensaver has been running for a while, open System Settings, click Sleep in the left sidebar, and set a sleep timer under Turn display off after. This is separate from the screensaver setting.
Audio from your video will always be muted when it plays as a screensaver, even if the original file has sound. The screensaver stops when ready when you move your mouse, press any key, or touch your trackpad. You do not need to do anything special to dismiss it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a video longer than an hour as a screensaver?
Yes. macOS will play the entire video and then loop it from the beginning. If your video is very long, it will take a while to loop back to the start, but there is no length limit. For a screensaver you want to watch repeatedly, shorter videos (under 10 minutes) usually work better.
What if my video file does not appear in the screensaver list?
Check that the file is actually in /Library/Screen Savers/ by opening Finder and using Command + Shift + G to navigate there. Confirm the filename ends with .mp4, .mov, .m4v, or .webm. If it is in the wrong format, convert it using HandBrake. Close and reopen System Settings to refresh the list.
Can I use a video from an external drive as a screensaver?
The video file must be on your Mac's internal drive or a drive that is always connected. If you use an external drive that you disconnect, the screensaver will stop working when the drive is unplugged. Copy the file to /Library/Screen Savers/ on your Mac to avoid this problem.
Will my screensaver work if I update macOS?
Yes. Files in /Library/Screen Savers/ are not removed during macOS updates. Your video screensaver will continue to work after you update, though you may need to reselect it in System Settings if the screensaver list resets.
Can I delete a screensaver video after I have set it?
If you delete the file from /Library/Screen Savers/, it will no longer appear in your screensaver list. If it was selected when you deleted it, macOS will switch to the default screensaver the next time the screensaver starts. You can always move the file back to the folder to use it again.