Where to find and change your screensaver

Your Mac screensaver settings live in System Settings, not buried in a submenu. Open System Settings from the Apple menu, then click Lock Screen in the sidebar. You'll see a preview of your current screensaver at the top and a dropdown menu labeled Screensaver directly below it. Click that dropdown, choose the screensaver you want, and it takes effect when ready — no restart needed.

The built-in options range from straightforward (solid colors, floating logos) to animated (Aerial views of cities, floating objects, color gradients). Each one shows a small preview thumbnail before you select it, so you can see what you're getting. Once you pick one, the preview at the top updates to show how it will look on your screen.

If you want to go back to no screensaver at all, that option exists too — just select None from the dropdown. Your Mac will then skip the screensaver and go straight to the lock screen after the idle time you set.

Key Takeaways

  • Screensaver settings are in System Settings under Lock Screen, not in a separate preferences panel.
  • You can preview each screensaver before selecting it, and changes take effect when ready without restarting.
  • The idle time before your screensaver starts is set in the same Lock Screen panel, separate from the screensaver choice itself.
  • Turning off your screensaver entirely is an option — select None from the dropdown if you prefer to skip straight to the lock screen.

Setting how long before your screensaver starts

The screensaver won't start until your Mac has been idle for a set amount of time. That timer is also in the Lock Screen settings, but it's a separate control from the screensaver choice itself. Look for Start after (or Require password after depending on your macOS version) and click the dropdown next to it.

The default is usually 5 or 10 minutes, but you can set it anywhere from 1 minute to Never. If you set it to Never, your screensaver won't start at all, even though you've chosen one — your screen will just stay on until you manually lock it or it goes to sleep. This is useful if you want the screensaver there as an option but don't want it starting automatically.

Choosing between screensaver and sleep

Your Mac has two separate idle timers: one for the screensaver and one for sleep. The screensaver starts first (after the time you set in Lock Screen), and then your Mac goes to sleep after a longer period of inactivity. You can set these independently.

If you want your screen to turn off quickly to save power, set the screensaver to start after 1 or 2 minutes, then set sleep to happen a minute or two after that. If you want to see the screensaver for a while before the screen goes dark, set the screensaver to start sooner and sleep to happen much later. The screensaver timer does not override the sleep timer — they work together.

Using photos or a folder as your screensaver

Instead of the built-in animated screensavers, you can use your own photos. In the Screensaver dropdown, select Photos or Memories. Photos will cycle through your entire photo library, while Memories pulls from photos your Mac thinks are worth showing (based on date and prominence in your library).

If you want even more control, select Folder from the dropdown. You'll then choose a specific folder on your Mac, and the screensaver will cycle through only the images in that folder. This is useful if you want to show off a specific set of photos without your entire library appearing.

Troubleshooting when your screensaver won't start

If you've set a screensaver but it never appears, check two things. First, make sure the idle time in Start after is not set to Never — if it is, the screensaver will never start automatically. Second, check whether your Mac is set to prevent the screensaver when certain apps are running. Some video players and presentation software disable the screensaver automatically.

If you're using a photo or folder screensaver and it's not showing images, the folder may be empty or the images may be in a format your Mac doesn't recognize (very old or unusual file types). Try switching to a built-in screensaver to confirm the screensaver feature itself is working, then troubleshoot the folder separately.

Why your screensaver matters for device control

A screensaver is not a security feature by itself — it's just a visual display. However, it works together with your lock screen to control when your Mac requires a password. If you set your screensaver to start after 5 minutes and require a password when ready after, your Mac will lock itself after 5 minutes of inactivity, which is a real security boundary.

Without a screensaver, your screen stays on and your Mac stays unlocked during idle time, which means anyone walking past can see what's on your screen or use your Mac without a password. The screensaver itself doesn't prevent that — the lock screen does — but the screensaver gives you a visual signal that your Mac is about to lock, and it makes the transition feel intentional rather than accidental.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a video as my screensaver?

The built-in screensavers on Mac are animations or photo slideshows, not video files. You cannot set a personal video file as your screensaver through System Settings. However, you can use the Aerial screensaver, which plays short video clips of cities and landscapes.

Does my screensaver use a lot of battery power?

Screensavers use more power than a dark or sleeping screen, especially animated ones like Aerial. If you're on battery power and want to save energy, set your Mac to sleep quickly instead of running a screensaver for a long time. A dark screen uses far less power than any moving display.

Will my screensaver start if I'm using an external monitor?

Yes, the screensaver will start on whichever display is set as your primary screen. If you have an external monitor connected, you can choose whether it acts as your primary display in System Settings under Displays. The screensaver will appear on that primary display after the idle time you set.

Can I set different screensavers for different user accounts?

Yes. Each user account on your Mac has its own Lock Screen settings. When you log in as a different user, that user's screensaver choice will be the one that starts. Switch users in the Apple menu to change which screensaver is active.

What happens to my screensaver when I close my laptop?

When you close your MacBook lid, the display goes dark and your Mac goes to sleep — the screensaver does not run. The screensaver only appears when your Mac is awake but idle. Once your Mac wakes up again, the screensaver timer resets.