Use a screen saver on your Mac
You can use a screen saver to hide the desktop when you’re away from your Mac or if you need extra privacy.
Customize the screen saver on your Mac
Go to the System Settings app
on your Mac.
Click Wallpaper
in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)
Click Screen Saver.
Select Custom, then choose a screen saver from one of the available categories:
macOS: These are slow-motion images.
Landscape, Cityscape, Underwater, and Earth aerials: These slow-motion images show dramatic views.
Mac: These gradient pill shapes form the word “Mac” in shifting color tones.
Shuffle Aerials: These slow-motion images change at an interval you set.
Other: These are your photos and distinctive screen savers that allow you to show a message, see a “Word of the Day,” and more.
Set options for your screen saver.
Options vary based on the screen saver you choose. For example, you can:
Turn on an aerial for your wallpaper, using the slow-motion aerial as your screen saver.
Choose how often to shuffle through aerials.
Choose a style to shuffle through your images.
Start or stop the screen saver on your Mac
The screen saver automatically starts whenever your Mac sits idle for the amount of time you choose, unless your display is turned off. You can do any of the following:
Change how long your Mac can be inactive before the display is turned off: Choose Apple menu
in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.) See Change Lock Screen settings.
Start the screen saver immediately: If you set up a hot corner for the screen saver, move the pointer to the corner. See Use hot corners.
You can also start the screen saver by choosing Apple menu
Stop the screen saver and show the desktop: Press any key, move the mouse, or touch the trackpad.
If you want more security when you stop the screen saver, see Require a password after waking your Mac.