Screen savers, once a tool for preventing screen burn-in on older CRT monitors, have evolved into a fun and creative way to personalize your Mac experience. While modern displays no longer suffer from burn-in issues, screen savers are still a great way to showcase stunning visuals when your Mac is idle.
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How to Use Screen Savers on macOS Sonoma
Being able to use screen savers on the Mac is nothing new, but with macOS Sonoma, Apple has completely revamped the entire experience. The first thing that you’ll notice when logging into your account after updating to macOS Sonoma is the redesigned Lock Screen. The various users will appear at the bottom, while showing the date and time at the top, similar to what you’ll see on your iPhone or iPad.
- Make sure your Mac is updated and running the latest version of macOS Sonoma.
- Open the System Settings app on your Mac.
- In the sidebar on the left, scroll down and click Screen Saver.
- Locate and select a screen saver that you want to use from one of the following categories:
- Once selected the chosen screen saver will begin downloading to your Mac. A progress bar appears letting you know how much longer before the screen saver will be finished downloading.
Another nice touch that Apple has added with the addition of new screen savers in macOS Sonoma is the ability to use the image as your wallpaper. All you need to do is click the toggle next to Show as wallpaper and your background will instantly change, provided that the image is finished downloading.
Lastly, if you have multiple monitors connected to your Mac, you can also customize the screen saver on a per-monitor basis. Or, you can click the toggle next to Show on all displays, and the screen saver will be applied to any monitors or displays that are connected to your Mac.
How to Shuffle Aerials Screen Savers on macOS Sonoma
One of the hidden changes with macOS Sonoma is the addition of Apple’s collection of “Aerials” screen savers. These have been available on the Apple TV for some time now, even leading some to create apps that bring the wallpapers to the Mac. However, those workarounds are no longer necessary, and you can even go so far as to shuffle Aerials screen savers on macOS Sonoma.
- Make sure your Mac is updated and running the latest version of macOS Sonoma.
- Open the System Settings app on your Mac.
- In the sidebar on the left, scroll down and click Screen Saver.
- Scroll down until you reach the Shuffle Aerials section.
- Select one of the following:
- Shuffle All
- Shuffle Landscape
- Shuffle Cityscape
- Shuffle Underwater
- Shuffle Earth
- Once selected, go back to the top of the page.
- Click the drop-down menu next to Shuffle All.
- Select one of the following:
- Every 12 Hours
- Every Day
- Every 2 Days
- Every Week
- Every Month
Conclusion
Screen savers are a fun and easy way to personalize your Mac and make the most of your display when your computer is idle. With this guide, you should now be able to set up and use screen savers on macOS. Remember, you can always change your screen saver settings if you want to try out a different look.
Andrew is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US.
He has written for a variety of sites over the years, including iMore, Android Central, Phandroid, and a few others. Now, he spends his days working for an HVAC company, while moonlighting as a freelance writer at night.
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