How to Enable a Custom Screensaver on Windows 10

Co-authored by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: May 24, 2021

Most modern computers no longer need screensavers since they no longer suffer the same burn-in issues they once did, but you can still use a screensaver for entertainment or decorative purposes. This wikiHow will teach you how to enable the screensaver on Windows 10 computers.

Steps

1
Press ⊞ Win+I. This key combination will open the Settings window. You can also open it by clicking the gear icon in the Start menu.
2
Click Personalization. This button is next to an icon of a paint brush on a monitor.
3
Click Lock screen. You'll see this in the panel on the left side of the window next to a monitor with a padlock.
4
Click Screen saver settings. It's below the "Show lock screen" toggle text.
5
Click the "Screen saver" drop-down menu and select the type of screensaver you want to use. You can choose to use 3D Text, Blank, Bubbles, Mystify, Photos, or Ribbons.
- If you choose 3D Text or Photos, click Settings and you can set certain aspects of the screensaver, such as the text and images displayed.
- Blank, Bubbles, Mystify, and Ribbons have no special settings, though you can see a preview of the screensaver in the space above the drop-down menu.
6
Increase or decrease the time listed next to "Wait." Use the arrows next to the text box to indicate, in minutes, how long the computer should be inactive before turning on the screensaver.
- Click to check the box next to "On resume…" if you want the login prompt to appear after the screensaver is turned off, which could be useful if the computer isn't a private computer.
7
Click Apply and Ok. After you click "Apply," your computer will save the changes before you click "Ok" to close the window.^{[1]
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