Use a screen saver on your Mac

You can use a screen saver to hide the desktop when you’re away from your Mac or if you need extra privacy.

The System Settings window, with Wallpaper settings selected in the sidebar, and Tahoe Dynamic Wallpaper (Light) selected on the right.

Customize the screen saver on your Mac

  1. Go to the System Settings app on your Mac.

  2. Click Wallpaper in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)

    Open Wallpaper settings for me

  3. Click Screen Saver.

  4. Select Custom, then choose a screen saver from one of the available categories:

    • macOS: These are slow-motion images.

    • Landscape, Cityscape, Underwater, and Earth aerials: These slow-motion images show dramatic views.

    • Shuffle Aerials: These slow-motion images change at an interval you set.

    • Other: These are your photos and distinctive screen savers that allow you to show a message, see a “Word of the Day,” and more.

  5. Set options for your screen saver.

    Options vary based on the screen saver you choose. For example, you can:

    • Turn on an aerial for your wallpaper, using the slow-motion aerial as your screen saver.

    • Choose how often to shuffle through aerials.

    • Choose a style to shuffle through your images.

Start or stop the screen saver on your Mac

  • The screen saver automatically starts whenever your Mac sits idle for the amount of time you choose, unless your display is turned off. To change how long your Mac can be inactive before the display is turned off, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Lock Screen in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.) See Change Lock Screen settings.

    If you set up a hot corner for the screen saver, move the pointer over the corner to immediately start the screen saver. See Use hot corners.

    You can also start the screen saver by choosing Apple menu > Lock Screen.

  • To stop the screen saver and show the desktop, press any key, move the mouse, or touch the trackpad.

If you want more security when you stop the screen saver, see Require a password after waking your Mac.

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