Let’s be real. Staring at the same generic floating colors on your MacBook for three years is a choice, but it’s probably one you’re ready to move on from. Most people think they know how to change screensaver on mac settings, but then macOS Sonoma or Sequoia drops and suddenly the entire System Settings menu looks like a labyrinth designed by someone who hates efficiency. It's frustrating. You just want your screen to look cool when you step away for coffee.
Your Mac isn't just a tool; it’s a vibe.
Whether you're rocking an M3 Max MacBook Pro or an ancient Intel Air that sounds like a jet engine taking off, the process has shifted significantly in recent years. Apple moved away from the classic "Desktop & Screen Saver" pane we all loved in the Mojave days. Now, everything is tucked into a vertical sidebar that mimics iOS. It's sleek, sure, but it's also confusing if you haven't poked around in a while.
The Actual Way to Change Screensaver on Mac Right Now
First things first: forget looking for a standalone app. You need to hit that Apple icon in the top left corner. Click System Settings. If you're running anything older than Ventura, it’ll say "System Preferences," but let’s assume you've updated recently because security is important.
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Once you’re in, scroll down the left sidebar. You’re looking for Screen Saver. It’s usually tucked between "Wallpaper" and "Battery." This is where the magic—and the clutter—happens.
Apple now categorizes these into several groups. You’ve got your "Landscape" views, "Cityscape," "Underwater," and "Earth." These aren't just static images. They are high-frame-rate slow-motion videos that look absolutely stunning on a Liquid Retina XDR display. If you pick one of these, you can also toggle a setting at the top that says Show as wallpaper. This is a game-changer. It means when you wake your Mac up, the moving video smoothly slows down and becomes your static desktop background. It’s seamless. It’s also a massive resource hog if you have an older machine, so keep that in mind.
What About Your Own Photos?
Maybe you don't want a drone shot of Dubai. Maybe you want your dog.
To use your own images, scroll all the way to the bottom of the Screen Saver list. You'll see a section called Other. This is where the classic "Photo Wall," "Shifting Tiles," and "Ken Burns" effects live. Click one of those, and a "Source" button appears. You can point this to your Photos library or a specific folder on your hard drive.
Pro tip: If you're using a folder, make sure the images are high resolution. Nothing ruins the aesthetic of a $2,000 computer like a pixelated 480p photo of a burrito from 2016.
Why Your Screensaver Isn't Starting (The "Lock Screen" Confusion)
Here is where most people get tripped up. You change screensaver on mac settings, you set it to "Flurry," you wait five minutes... and the screen just goes black.
Why?
Because your "Turn display off" timer is shorter than your "Start screen saver" timer. It's a common conflict. To fix this, you have to jump over to the Lock Screen settings in that same sidebar. Look at "Start Screen Saver when inactive" and "Turn display off on battery when inactive."
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If you want to actually see your screensaver, the "Start Screen Saver" time must be lower than the "Turn display off" time. Otherwise, the Mac just kills the power to the monitor before the animation even has a chance to trigger. It's a simple logic puzzle that Apple doesn't explain well.
Exploring the "Aerial" Obsession
Ever since the Apple TV fourth generation, Apple has been obsessed with these "Aerial" shots. They brought them to the Mac in a big way with macOS Sonoma. Honestly? They are the best screensavers ever made.
These are large files. When you click one, you'll see a small arrow icon. That means it’s downloading from Apple's servers. Each one can be several hundred megabytes. If you're on a tight data cap or a slow cafe Wi-Fi, maybe wait until you're home to download the "Himalayas" flyover.
There's also a "Shuffle" option at the top of the Aerials section. You can choose to shuffle by category. If you’re feeling moody, set it to "Cityscape" at night. If you want something peaceful, go with "Underwater." The dolphins are surprisingly calming during a stressful work week.
Third-Party Options and the "Clock" Aesthetic
Sometimes the built-in stuff doesn't cut it. You’ve probably seen those cool, minimalist "Flip Clock" screensavers on productivity TikToks or YouTube setup tours. That isn't a Mac default.
The most famous one is called Fliqlo. It’s been around forever. You download it as a .saver file. Once you open it, macOS will ask if you want to install it for "this user" or "all users." After that, it appears in the "Other" section at the bottom of your Screen Saver settings.
Another heavy hitter is Aerial. It’s an open-source project that brings even more Apple TV screensavers to your Mac, including some that Apple hasn't officially ported over. It gives you way more control, like showing the weather or the current song playing in Spotify over the video.
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Technical Troubleshooting: When it Freezes
If you try to change screensaver on mac and the System Settings app hangs, or the preview is just a spinning wheel, you likely have a corrupted cache. It happens.
You can usually fix this by killing the background process. Open Activity Monitor (Cmd + Space, then type it in). Search for a process called LegacyScreenSaver or com.apple.ScreenSaver.Engine. Force quit it.
If that doesn't work, you might need to go into your Library folder.
- Open Finder.
- Click "Go" in the menu bar while holding the Option key.
- Select "Library."
- Navigate to
Containers/com.apple.ScreenSaver.Engine.legacyScreenSaver/Data/Library/Preferences. - Toss the
.plistfiles in there.
Restart your Mac, and things should be back to normal. It's a bit of a "power user" move, but it saves a trip to the Genius Bar.
The Battery Impact
Let's talk about the elephant in the room. Screensavers use power.
If you’re on a MacBook Pro and you’re running a high-def video of the Great Barrier Reef while disconnected from the wall, your battery will drain faster. Period. The GPU has to work to render those frames. If you’re trying to stretch your battery life for a long flight, your best "screensaver" is actually just setting the display to turn off after one minute.
However, on an iMac or a Mac Mini plugged into a monitor, go wild.
Hot Corners: The Secret Shortcut
If you want to trigger your screensaver manually without waiting for a timer, you need Hot Corners.
In the Screen Saver settings window, look for the "Hot Corners..." button at the bottom right. This lets you assign an action to each corner of your screen. I always set my bottom-right corner to "Start Screen Saver." Now, when I walk away from my desk, I just flick my mouse to the corner, and boom—instant privacy and aesthetic. It's much faster than locking the screen with a keyboard shortcut.
Summary of Actionable Steps
Changing your Mac's look shouldn't be a chore. Here is the move:
- Update your OS: The best moving wallpapers are only on Sonoma or later.
- Sync your timers: Ensure your Screen Saver starts before the display turns off in the Lock Screen menu.
- Download the Aerials: Use the high-res videos but mind your storage space.
- Go Third-Party: Install Fliqlo if you want that classic "minimalist clock" look.
- Enable Hot Corners: Make it easy to start the screensaver manually.
Stop looking at that boring "Hello" screensaver or the static red swirls. Your Mac is a powerhouse of display technology; give it something beautiful to show off when you aren't busy typing away. Whether it’s a drone shot of the Sonoma hills or a rotating gallery of your own travel photography, taking two minutes to fix your screen saver makes the whole experience of using a Mac feel more personal and, frankly, just more expensive in the best way possible.