The quickest way to change your screen saver

Open Settings by pressing Windows key + I, then go to System in the left menu and select Screen and sleep. Scroll down to Screen saver settings and click it. A window will open showing your current screen saver — click the dropdown menu to pick a different one, then click Apply and OK.

That's the full process. If you want to set how long Windows waits before the screen saver starts, or if you want to use a photo folder as your screen saver, the steps below walk you through each option.

Key Takeaways

  • You reach screen saver settings through Settings > System > Screen and sleep > Screen saver settings, not through Control Panel.
  • The dropdown menu in the screen saver window shows all available screen savers built into Windows, plus any you have installed.
  • You can set how many minutes of inactivity trigger the screen saver, and whether it requires your password to dismiss.
  • The Photos screen saver lets you display a rotating slideshow from any folder on your computer.

Finding the screen saver settings window

Windows 11 moved screen saver controls into the Settings app rather than the older Control Panel. Press Windows key + I to open Settings. On the left side, click System, then in the main panel find and click Screen and sleep.

Scroll down past the brightness and sleep timeout options. You'll see a link labeled Screen saver settings — click that. A small window titled "Screen Saver Settings" will open. This is where you make all your changes.

Choosing a different screen saver from the list

At the top of the Screen Saver Settings window is a dropdown menu that currently shows your active screen saver. Click the dropdown arrow to see all available options. Windows includes several built-in screen savers: Blank, Bubbles, Mystify, Ribbons, and a few others depending on your Windows version.

Click the one you want. A preview will play in the small box below the dropdown so you can see what it looks like before you commit. Once you've picked one, click Apply at the bottom of the window, then OK.

Setting the wait time before the screen saver starts

Below the screen saver dropdown is a field labeled Wait with a number and the word "minutes" next to it. This controls how long your computer sits idle before the screen saver turns on. The default is usually 10 minutes.

Click in that field and type a new number. You can set it anywhere from 1 minute to 60 minutes. If you want the screen saver to start very quickly, use a low number. If you rarely want it to start, use a higher number. Click Apply when you're done.

Using a password to dismiss the screen saver

Below the wait time field is a checkbox labeled On resume, display logon screen. If you check this box, anyone who moves the mouse or presses a key to turn off the screen saver will have to enter your Windows password to get back to your desktop.

This adds a layer of security if you step away from your computer in a shared space. Leave it unchecked if you're the only person who uses the computer and you don't want to type your password every time the screen saver ends.

Using your photos as a screen saver

If you want to display a rotating slideshow of your own photos instead of a built-in pattern, select Photos from the screen saver dropdown. Click the Settings button that appears below the preview box.

A new window opens where you can choose which folder to pull photos from. Click Browse, navigate to a folder full of your photos, and click OK. You can also adjust how long each photo displays and whether the slideshow shuffles them randomly. Click Save when you're done, then Apply and OK in the main screen saver window.

Turning off the screen saver entirely

If you don't want a screen saver at all, open the Screen Saver Settings window again and click the dropdown menu. Select None at the top of the list. Click Apply and OK. Your screen will no longer activate a screen saver when idle — it will simply go dark according to your sleep settings instead.

Note that turning off the screen saver doesn't affect when your monitor powers down. That's controlled separately in the Screen and sleep settings under "Screen timeout" and "Sleep timeout."

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a video file as my screen saver?

No, Windows screen savers only support still images or built-in patterns. If you want a video to play when your computer is idle, you would need to use third-party software. The Photos screen saver is the closest built-in option.

Why doesn't my screen saver start even though I set it up?

Check your sleep settings. If your monitor powers down before the screen saver wait time is reached, the screen saver won't have a chance to start. Go back to Screen and sleep settings and make sure your screen timeout is set to a longer duration than your screen saver wait time.

Where do I find screen saver settings in Windows 10?

Windows 10 uses the same Settings app path: Settings > System > Display > Screen saver settings. The process is identical to Windows 11, though the menu layout looks slightly different.

Can I set different screen savers for different times of day?

Windows doesn't have a built-in scheduling feature for screen savers. You would need to manually change it through Settings, or use third-party automation software if you want it to switch automatically.