How to Set a Screen Saver on PC or Mac

This wikiHow teaches you how to select a screensaver in Windows or macOS.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:
Windows

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    Click the
    Image titled Windowsstart.png
    menu.     It’s usually at the bottom-left corner of the screen.
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    Type screen saver into the search bar. A list of results will appear.
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  3. Image titled Set a Screen Saver on PC or Mac Step 3
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    Click Turn screen saver on or off. The Screen Saver Settings window will appear.
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    Select a screen saver from the drop-down menu. It’s under the “Screen saver” header. A small preview will appear at the top of the window.
    • Some screen savers have extra settings you can adjust, such as 3D Text. Click Settings… to find the options for each screen saver.
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    Click Preview. This shows a live preview on your desktop. To exit preview mode, move the mouse.
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    Select when to turn on the screen saver. Use the arrows next to “Wait” to determine how many minutes of non-use Windows should wait before activating the screen saver.
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    Select whether to log in to unlock the screen saver. To require a password to unlock the screen saver, check the box next to “On resume, display login screen.”
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    Click Apply.
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    Click OK. The screen saver is now enabled.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:
macOS

  1. Image titled Set a Screen Saver on PC or Mac Step 10
    1
    Click the
    Image titled Macapple1.png
    menu.     It’s usually at the top-left corner of the screen.
  2. Image titled Set a Screen Saver on PC or Mac Step 11
    2
    Click System Preferences.
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    Click Desktop & Screen Saver.
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    4
    Click the Screen Saver tab. It’s near the top-center part of the window, to the right of “Desktop.”
  5. Image titled Set a Screen Saver on PC or Mac Step 14
    5
    Select a screen saver. Your options appear in the left column. Once you make a selection, a preview will appear in the right column.[1]
    • Some screen savers, such as Floating, Reflections, and Shifting Tiles, allow you to create slideshows of images. Select one of these options, then click Source to choose your own images.
    • To see a full-screen preview, hover your mouse cursor over the small preview, then click Preview.
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    6
    Select when to turn on the screen saver. Click the drop-down menu next to “Start after” to choose how many minutes of non-use macOS should wait before activating the screen saver.
  7. Image titled Set a Screen Saver on PC or Mac Step 16
    7
    Require a password to unlock the screen saver. This is optional. If you want to have to enter your password to unlock the desktop once the screen saver appears:
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References

  1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204379

About This Article

Nicole Levine, MFA
Written by:
Nicole Levine, MFA
Tech Specialist
This article was written by Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. This article has been viewed 1,526 times.
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Co-authors: 1
Updated: March 29, 2019
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Categories: Windows | Mac
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