How to Choose When the Screen Saver Turns On for Your Mac

To choose when the screen saver turns on for your Mac in macOS 27 or macOS Tahoe 26, open System Settings, click Wallpaper, click Screen Saver, and pick a time next to Start Screen Saver. In macOS Sequoia 15, Sonoma 14 and Ventura 13, the same control is called Start Screen Saver when inactive and sits in System Settings > Lock Screen.

One thing trips most people up: the screen saver only appears if the display is still on. If your display is set to turn off sooner than the screen saver starts, you will never see it. This guide covers both timers, every recent macOS version, and what to check when the screen saver does not show up. On a PC, follow the steps for changing the screen saver in Windows 11 instead.

What You Need to Know First

A screen saver is a moving image or slideshow that covers your desktop after the Mac has been idle, meaning nobody has touched the keyboard, mouse or trackpad. Apple describes it as a way to hide the desktop when you are away or want extra privacy.

The setting has moved several times, so the right steps depend on your macOS version. To check yours, choose Apple menu > About This Mac and read the macOS name and number.

macOS version	Where to go	Name of the setting
macOS 27, macOS Tahoe 26	System Settings > Wallpaper > Screen Saver	Start Screen Saver
macOS Sequoia 15, Sonoma 14, Ventura 13	System Settings > Lock Screen	Start Screen Saver when inactive
macOS Monterey 12 and earlier	System Preferences > Desktop & Screen Saver > Screen Saver	Show screen saver after

These locations come from Apple’s Change Screen Saver settings on Mac and Change Lock Screen settings on Mac pages. Each page has a Select version menu at the top, so you can switch it to your own macOS release.

How to Change When the Screen Saver Starts in macOS 27 and macOS Tahoe 26

1. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen and choose System Settings.
2. Click Wallpaper in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down to find it.
3. Click Screen Saver. The Screen Saver settings open with a thumbnail of your current screen saver at the top.
4. Find Start Screen Saver and choose how long your Mac can be inactive before the screen saver begins.

5. Close System Settings. The change is saved as soon as you pick a time, so there is no button to confirm.

The timer counts from your last key press, click or pointer movement. Pick a short time if you want the desktop hidden quickly when you step away, or a longer one if the screen saver keeps interrupting you while you read.

To undo a change, return to the same menu and choose a different time. Nothing else on the Mac is affected.

How to Change It in macOS Sequoia, Sonoma and Ventura

1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
2. Click Lock Screen in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down.
3. Click the pop-up menu next to Start Screen Saver when inactive and choose a time.
4. Look for a warning symbol beside the setting. It appears when the display is set to turn off before the screen saver starts. If you see it, change the display timer as described below.

In these versions Screen Saver is its own item in the System Settings sidebar, but that screen is for picking which screen saver you see. A Lock Screen Settings button shows up there only when your display is set to sleep before the screen saver starts.

How to Change It in macOS Monterey and Earlier

1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences.
2. Click Desktop & Screen Saver, then click the Screen Saver tab.
3. Click the Show screen saver after pop-up menu and choose how long the Mac should wait.

A warning symbol appears here too if the display is set to turn off first. In these older versions the display timer is in Energy Saver or Battery preferences.

Make Sure the Display Stays On Long Enough

The screen saver starts automatically when your Mac sits idle for the time you choose, unless the display is turned off. So the display timer has to be longer than the screen saver timer.

1. Open System Settings and click Lock Screen.
2. On a Mac laptop, set Turn display off on battery when inactive and Turn display off on power adapter when inactive. They are separate, so check both.
3. Choose a time that is longer than your screen saver time for each one.

For example, if the screen saver starts after 5 minutes and the display turns off after 20, you see the screen saver for about 15 minutes before the screen goes dark. If both are set to 5 minutes, or the display time is shorter, the screen turns off and the screen saver never appears.

A desktop Mac such as an iMac or Mac mini has no battery, so it shows one setting instead of two: Turn display off when inactive.

Keep in mind that a longer display time means the screen stays lit longer, which uses more power on a MacBook running on battery. To manage the related battery settings, follow the steps for stopping a MacBook display from dimming on battery.

Start or Stop the Screen Saver Right Away

You do not have to wait for the timer. Here are the ways to start and stop the screen saver:

• Apple menu: choose Apple menu > Lock Screen.
• Hot corner: move the pointer into a screen corner that you have assigned to the screen saver.
• Stop it: press any key, move the mouse, or touch the trackpad.

A hot corner is a corner of the screen that triggers an action when the pointer reaches it. To set one up, open System Settings, click Desktop & Dock, then click Hot Corners at the bottom. Click the pop-up menu for a corner, choose the screen saver option, and click Done. Apple’s Use hot corners on Mac page adds that you can hold Command, Shift, Option or Control while choosing, so the corner only works with that key held down. That helps if you keep triggering it by accident.

Require a Password When the Screen Saver Ends

The screen saver hides your desktop, but by itself it does not lock the Mac. Anyone who moves the mouse gets straight back in unless a password is required.

In System Settings > Lock Screen, click the pop-up menu next to Require password after screen saver begins or display is turned off and choose how much time passes before the password is needed. A shorter time is more secure, and a longer time is more convenient if you often wake the Mac a few seconds after the screen saver starts.

Before you rely on this, make sure you know your login password, because you will need it every time the Mac wakes. If you are not sure of it, you can change the login password on a MacBook Air first. Apple also points out that locking the screen does not stop someone from restarting or shutting down the Mac, so save your work before you walk away.

To keep certain files locked even while you’re signed in, you can also password protect a folder on your Mac.

How to Choose Which Screen Saver Appears

The timer and the screen saver itself are set in the same place in macOS 27 and macOS Tahoe 26. In Wallpaper > Screen Saver, set Use Screen Saver to Custom, then pick from Apple’s categories, which include slow-motion macOS images, aerials, Shuffle Aerials, and Other for your photos, a message and more. Apple’s Use a screen saver on your Mac page lists them all.

To see how it looks without waiting, move the pointer over the thumbnail at the top of the Screen Saver settings and click Preview. Move the pointer again to stop the preview.

An Apple TV uses a similar idle timer, and you can turn off or change the Apple TV screen saver too.

Troubleshooting

• The screen saver never appears: the display is probably turning off first. Raise both Turn display off times in Lock Screen so they are longer than the screen saver time.
• You cannot find Start Screen Saver: you are likely following steps for a different macOS version. Check your version in About This Mac, then use the table above. You can also type “screen saver” in the System Settings search field.
• It works when plugged in but not on battery: a MacBook has two display timers. The battery one is probably shorter than your screen saver time.
• The setting is dimmed or keeps changing back: on a Mac managed by a school or employer, an administrator can control screen saver and lock settings. Ask your IT department instead of trying to work around it.
• The screen saver starts while you are watching or reading: choose a longer time. The timer measures input, so it can run out while you are looking at the screen without touching anything.
• The Mac asks for a password every time: lengthen the time under Require password after screen saver begins or display is turned off.

Frequently Asked Questions

Next Step

Set the screen saver time first, then open Lock Screen and confirm the display turns off later than that. Once both timers are in the right order, pick a password delay that matches how private your desk is.