Where to find and change your screen saver

Your Mac's screen saver settings live in System Settings, and you can change them in about two minutes. Open System Settings from your Apple menu, click Lock Screen in the sidebar, then select Screen Saver. Choose the design you want from the list, set how many minutes of inactivity trigger it, and you're done.

The screen saver will start automatically after your Mac sits unused for the time you set. If you want to test it right away without waiting, click the Start Now button at the bottom of that same window.

Key Takeaways

  • Screen saver settings are in System Settings under Lock Screen, not in a separate app or preference pane.
  • You can choose from built-in designs like Floating, Drift, or Kaleidoscope, or use a photo from your library as a custom screen saver.
  • The delay time — how long your Mac waits before starting the screen saver — is set in the same window where you pick the design.
  • You can test your screen saver immediately by clicking Start Now instead of waiting for your Mac to go idle.

Picking a screen saver design

Mac comes with several built-in screen savers. The most common ones are Floating (shapes that drift across the screen), Drift (a moving landscape), and Kaleidoscope (geometric patterns). Each one has options you can adjust — for example, Floating lets you choose what shape appears, and Kaleidoscope lets you change the colors.

Click on any design in the list to see a preview on the right side of the window. This preview shows you exactly what it will look like when it runs on your screen.

Using a photo as your screen saver

Instead of a built-in design, you can use any photo from your Mac. Scroll down in the screen saver list and select Photos. A menu will appear asking which photo library to use — usually Photos Library is already selected, which pulls from your Photos app.

You can also choose Folder from that same menu if you want the screen saver to cycle through photos stored in a specific folder on your Mac. Click the folder icon that appears and navigate to the folder you want.

Setting the delay before your screen saver starts

Below the screen saver list, you'll see a dropdown that says Start after followed by a time in minutes. This controls how long your Mac waits without any keyboard or mouse activity before the screen saver turns on. The default is usually 10 minutes.

Click that dropdown and choose a different time if you want — common options are 1 minute, 5 minutes, 15 minutes, or 30 minutes. If you set it to 1 minute, the screen saver will start almost immediately after you stop using your Mac. If you set it to 30 minutes, you'll have to leave it idle longer before it appears.

Turning off your screen saver

If you don't want a screen saver at all, open System Settings, go to Lock Screen, and click Screen Saver. At the top of the list, select None. Your Mac will no longer display a screen saver when idle — the screen will simply go dark according to your display sleep settings instead.

You can always turn it back on later by returning to the same window and picking a design.

What happens when you move your mouse or press a key

The screen saver stops immediately when you move your mouse, press any key, or touch your trackpad. Your Mac returns to the desktop or the app you were using. If you have a password set for your login, your Mac may ask for your password before letting you back in — this depends on your security settings in System Settings under Lock Screen.

The screen saver itself does not lock your Mac. It's purely visual. If you want to require a password when your Mac wakes up, that's a separate setting you control in the same Lock Screen window.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a video as a screen saver?

No, Mac screen savers are limited to still images or built-in animated designs. If you want a video to play when your Mac is idle, you would need to use a third-party app from the Mac App Store, but the built-in screen saver feature does not support video files.

Why is my screen saver not starting even though I set a delay?

Check that you selected something other than None in the Screen Saver list. Also verify that your Mac is actually idle — if you're moving your mouse or typing, the screen saver won't start. Some apps also prevent screen savers from running while they're active, particularly video players or presentation software.

Does the screen saver use a lot of battery on my MacBook?

Screen savers actually use more battery than letting your display sleep, because they keep the screen on and running animations. If you're on battery power, consider setting a shorter delay before your display sleeps instead of using a screen saver, or turn the screen saver off entirely.

Can I make my own custom screen saver design?

The built-in Mac screen saver feature doesn't let you create custom animated designs. You can use your own photos by selecting the Photos option, but if you want a completely custom animated screen saver, you'll need to download one from the Mac App Store or use third-party software.