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Questions tagged [screensaver]

Software to blank a display for security or to prevent hardware problems while system input is idle.

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44 votes
8 answers
136k views

How can I stop my MacBook Pro from automatically sleeping when I lock the screen?

Whenever I lock my screen (via either the lock icon -> Lock screen or by using the Control+shift+eject key combination), my screen immediately turns off (not showing the screen saver), and the system ...
Martin's user avatar
  • 661
32 votes
12 answers
91k views

How can I launch screensaver with a keyboard shortcut?

I've looked around but can't seem to find any good answers. Would appreciate any pointers.
Chris M's user avatar
  • 421
31 votes
4 answers
38k views

How can I install a new dictionary on OS X for use with the "Word of the Day" screensaver?

The reason is trivial: I am a fan of the "Word of the Day" screen saver and I would like to add dictionaries for languages other than English and Japanese (these are the two that I can select now in ...
scrrr's user avatar
  • 1,073
30 votes
7 answers
27k views

Screen Saver Stuck On, How To Escape?

Today I encountered a problem with the screen-saver, in which it couldn't be deactivated in order to return to normal work. Normally, hitting escape will deactivate the screen-saver, but this did not ...
SpinUp __ A Davis's user avatar
22 votes
6 answers
18k views

"Start Screensaver" hotcorner no longer works under El Capitan beta

After upgrading to one of the beta El Capitan builds, I can no longer use the "start screensaver" hotcorner. Other hotcorners still work, so it's not an issue with an application grabbing mouse input ...
Mahmoud Al-Qudsi's user avatar
21 votes
4 answers
88k views

How do I turn off the Screen Saver?

Can't believe that I have to ask this question, but... How to I disable the screen saver on my 2014 MacBook Pro, running MacOS Sierra 10.12? I have a need occasionally to keep the screen display on, ...
PeteCon's user avatar
  • 313
19 votes
2 answers
63k views

How to use iSight webcam without activating the green light?

Recently a the Dutch government advised to put a tape on your webcam to prevent hackers from taking pictures and video using your device (news article in Dutch). The build in iSight camera in Apple ...
CousinCocaine's user avatar
18 votes
6 answers
44k views

Is it possible to show a screensaver on a secondary monitor while using the primary monitor?

I have an iMac with a large format display set up as a secondary monitor that we use as a television for watching movies. When I am just using the iMac, I would like for the secondary display to ...
Cory Klein's user avatar
  • 1,421
16 votes
1 answer
22k views

Disable screen saver on OS X 10.9

When I set my screen saver "start after" value, it resets within a few hours. I have not yet determined what event causes it to reset, but it does not require rebooting to occur. Apple customer ...
user82050's user avatar
  • 163
16 votes
2 answers
24k views

How can I prevent Mac terminal ssh from disconnecting when the screen is automatically turned off?

I frequently use ssh on my MacBook to connect to other servers and run long-running commands there. When I do this, I leave the lid open to let it run, but then if I don't go to make coffee or ...
Amir E. Aharoni's user avatar
12 votes
5 answers
17k views

How can I disable the Screen Saver on the login window?

How can I disable the Screen Saver on the login window?
Oleg Danu's user avatar
  • 219
11 votes
2 answers
11k views

OS X Mavericks screensaver changes pictures too quickly: How do I slow it down?

My screensaver pictures have quotes and sayings and the three or so seconds of transition between pictures that is built into the OS X Mavericks is far too short a duration to read the quotes and ...
Nicky's user avatar
  • 111
11 votes
2 answers
14k views

Disable screensaver password requirement from command line

I am trying to enable and disable the screensaver password requirement from the command line. defaults read com.apple.screensaver shows a variable askForPassword set to either 0 or 1, depending on ...
Andrew J. Brehm's user avatar
9 votes
3 answers
12k views

Activating screen saver from AppleScript in Mountain Lion

I had a script that I used to use to activate my screen saver, and it no longer works in Mountain Lion. It was a shell script that called an AppleScript script: #!/bin/bash osascript /Users/lorin/...
Lorin Hochstein's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
7k views

High Sierra, how to set screensaver as desktop background?

Before I updated my OS I was able to set my current screen saver as my desktop background using this command found in this answer /System/Library/Frameworks/ScreenSaver.framework/Resources/...
Martin's user avatar
  • 153
9 votes
5 answers
2k views

Can I run top as screensaver?

My employer has recently issued me a MacBook Pro to play with. I have a lot of Linux experience, but I was struck by how nice the terminal looks on the Mac in full screen mode, especially when running ...
Jordan Nash's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
4k views

How can I set the Mac OS X screensaver when not logged in?

When logged in to my user account, the screensaver selected in System Preferences is used. However, when on the login screen before logging in or using fast user switching a different screensaver is ...
g .'s user avatar
  • 3,318
7 votes
2 answers
18k views

How to change the the screensaver using terminal (without using Preference Panel)?

I would like to change the screensaver "Flurry" by the Ken Burns without using the Preference panel, directly using terminal or command.
Nic's user avatar
  • 71
7 votes
2 answers
8k views

How to turn off Mountain Lion's screensaver's password requirement?

I have the current version Mountain Lion and set the Screensaver to 30 minutes, but since I am the only person that have access to this computer, I would like to turn the password off, but there seems ...
nonopolarity's user avatar
  • 9,676
6 votes
2 answers
460 views

Is there a way for locking the screen and putting it to sleep/activating the screen saver to be two different events on a MBP?

This question is very similar to what I want to accomplish, except for the fact that I also want to be able to put the display to sleep at times without triggering it to ask me for a password. I ...
JNat's user avatar
  • 161
6 votes
2 answers
3k views

10.7.3 - Screensaver turns on while I'm in the middle of typing/mouse activity

Has anyone seen this? Let's say I set my screen saver to activate after 5 minutes. Well I can be typing and using the mouse almost continuously for a period of time (5 minutes? I'm not exactly sure)...
Matthew Lund's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
328 views

Is it possible to install a custom screensaver?

Is it possible to make or install a custom screensaver on to use on macOS? For example: create a video or GIF and use it as a screensaver.
user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
2k views

Screensaver changes images too quickly – is there a way to adjust it?

I like to display my own images using the Mac OS X screensaver, but it seems that Mountain Lion has shortened the duration for which each image is displayed. The duration is too short for my tastes – ...
mhucka's user avatar
  • 1,386
5 votes
4 answers
2k views

Screensaver settings spontaneously revert

I have my screen saver set to display images from a folder in my ~/Pictures directory, and the "Shuffle slide order" box is checked. In Yosemite, I find that occasionally one or both of those settings ...
Flavin's user avatar
  • 613
5 votes
5 answers
18k views

Screen saver settings keep defaulting back to National Geographic Photos

I like to use my photo library for a screen saver (have 10,000 photos - it's nice to get to see them more often), but ever since I've downloaded Yosemite, every time the computer goes to sleep, it ...
Endicott2's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
2k views

Disable Sonoma Video Screensaver

After updating to Sonoma, I turned on the new video screensaver. Now I would like to turn it off because I don't like it, but I can't seem to make it go away. I changed the Lock Screen settings to &...
mushroom's user avatar
  • 236
5 votes
1 answer
429 views

"Word of the Day" Screensaver without Words?

Using Onyx I have set the Word of the Day screensaver as my desktop. The shimmering blue water effect is wonderful but I am distracted by the words flying through the screen and the fade to black ...
user1132149's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
3k views

Terminal output as a screensaver?

I want people to keep an eye on a script running in terminal whilst I'm away from my desk, but I don't trust them access to my machine. Is there a way to show the terminal console as a screensaver, ...
Chris's user avatar
  • 120
4 votes
5 answers
19k views

Why is the screen saver not kicking in?

I have a Mac mini running 10.6.7. I have set the screen saver to be automatically activated after 15 minutes, and the session to be locked a while after that. But sometimes, the screen saver stops ...
dkagedal's user avatar
  • 232
4 votes
2 answers
4k views

How can I show the login window after a period of inactivity?

How can I make my Mac display the login screen (as though I'd selected "Login window" from the fast user switching menu) after the session has been idle for a certain time? I can make it log out ...
Rob Kennedy's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
375 views

How to allow the "Word of the Day" screen saver to fetch the words with LittleSnitch?

A friend of mine (not on StackEchange) has used LittleSnitch to explicitly disallow Internet access for every process/app that attempted to access the Internet except the ones he actually needs to do ...
Ivan's user avatar
  • 141
4 votes
2 answers
1k views

Run an AppleScript that requires keystrokes while the screen is locked?

I've got a very simple AppleScript whose job it is to type some words into a text box. tell application "TextEdit" activate end tell delay 0.2 tell application "System Events" keystroke "Hello ...
hairboat's user avatar
  • 2,893
4 votes
1 answer
8k views

Why am frequently asked for access to my Keychain?

Since using Migration Assistant to move from an old iMac (2009) to a new MacBook Pro, I find that I'm repeatedly asked for access to my Keychain. Prior to moving to the new machine, once I unlocked my ...
orome's user avatar
  • 12k
4 votes
1 answer
2k views

Prevent users from unchecking "require password to wake computer from sleep or screen saver"

I've recently been given the task of securing a small network. One of the things we want to have happen is to have the computers lock down after a period of inactivity. The easy thing for this, of ...
edeneye's user avatar
  • 141
4 votes
1 answer
2k views

Toggling screensaver password with script

I am using a rather old application called Proximity to trigger applescripts when my phone goes in and out of bluetooth range of my mac. Along with other tasks, I want to secure my laptop when the ...
Chris C's user avatar
  • 395
4 votes
1 answer
646 views

Sleeping screen (Cinema Display) keeps waking up. How can I make it sleep until mouse is moved?

I have my Mac Pro (Cyrus) configured not to fall asleep completely but to let the screen sleep when not used for half an hour. I also use the keyboard shortcut for forcing the display to sleep. ...
Andrew J. Brehm's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
2k views

App to use iMac as digital photo frame for photos on a network drive?

I'd like to use a spare iMac as a digital photo frame to display my personal photos. Desired features: Turn off screen when the room is dark (or, worst case, turn off based on a timer -- would the ...
John Rotenstein's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
3k views

Is it possible to disable or remove the iTunes Artwork screensaver?

The iTunes Artwork screensaver is, IMO, an abomination. I like using a random screensaver but I do not want to see that one, ever. Apple, in their infinite wisdom, or lack thereof, seems to have ...
Dave Noonan's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
3k views

iTunes-cover screensaver not showing

Today I tried to use the iTunes-cover screensaver (for the first time), but my screen (and the preview area in the system preferences) simply stays black, nothing else happens. Has anybody ...
Asmus's user avatar
  • 7,655
4 votes
1 answer
585 views

Full screen application causes screen saver to not start (Lion)

When I am in a Full Screen application mode, the screen saver doesn't start. So I have to shift to another screen that doesn't show a full screen app. There the screen saver starts! This naturally ...
robob's user avatar
  • 163
4 votes
0 answers
1k views

Using ScreenSaverEngine with -background flag, does not open it in background

I have used this guide on Medium to use the screensaver as wallpaper. I just got a new iMac at work with macOS v10.13.6. and was intending to do the same. But running the command in terminal with -...
Han Che's user avatar
  • 141
4 votes
3 answers
729 views

screensaver that takes a screenshot

I'd like to make my screensaver look just like an unlocked desktop. The idea would be to take a screenshot just before activating the screensaver, and use that screenshot in the screensaver. Has ...
bukzor's user avatar
  • 179
4 votes
0 answers
1k views

OSX Screensaver photo repeat problem

I have an iMac running OSX 10.8.4 and I have a large collection of photos (10,000+) that I want displayed during the screensaver. I would like to see a uniform distribution of all photos. However, I ...
Hephaestus's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

What are Hot corners in macOS?

I just got a new Mac and while addressing my screen saver I was prompted about hot corners. What are they and how should they be used?
Kevan Full's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
6k views

Transparent locked screen

On my iMac, I keep a lot of supervision windows (displaying alarms and trends). These windows lead to priviledged access to very sensitive equipments. I would like to protect this iMac from any ...
athena's user avatar
  • 12.5k
3 votes
1 answer
3k views

How to turn off screen saver for remote desktop sessions in macOS Catalina?

Purchased an M1 Mac Mini. Running it headless. In the OS for my user, I have the screen saver set to "never." However, when I connect via remote desktop, the screen saver comes on after some ...
user1787331's user avatar
  • 1,192
3 votes
1 answer
9k views

What geographic location is shown in the macOS High Sierra default desktop image?

Looks like Convict Lake, just off US395 in Mono County...but I'm guessing. Does anyone know where the fall mountain scene with the lake was photographed?
DavidRecallsMonica's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

Is there a configurable "word-of-the-day"-screensaver/ -widget

I am looking for a "word-of-the-day" screensaver or dashboard widget where I can configure (e.g. in a text file) that "words" to be displayed?
daefu's user avatar
  • 1,277
3 votes
1 answer
108 views

Is there any way to force the Mac to not to log me out after ten minutes?

With this setting on the Mac Mini: The screensaver comes on the screen turns off after ten minutes or so. This has just happened three times running. Is there another setting which makes the Mac ...
Ed Plunkett's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
2k views

Make RSS screensaver show more articles?

I have an RSS screensaver, but at the moment it only displays a few articles and then loops. Is there a way to make it display more articles?
CoffeeRain's user avatar

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