{"id":130655,"date":"2019-03-04T22:27:10","date_gmt":"2019-03-04T22:27:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sftarticles.wpenginepowered.com\/en\/?p=130655"},"modified":"2025-07-01T22:16:29","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T05:16:29","slug":"find-and-set-windows-10-screensavers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/find-and-set-windows-10-screensavers\/","title":{"rendered":"Windows 10: How to find and set screensavers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-111172 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/09\/windows-10-700.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"394\" srcset=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/09\/windows-10-700.jpg 700w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/09\/windows-10-700-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/09\/windows-10-700-664x374.jpg 664w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/09\/windows-10-700-238x134.jpg 238w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/09\/windows-10-700-436x246.jpg 436w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/09\/windows-10-700-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/09\/windows-10-700-304x170.jpg 304w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>For anyone who owned or used a computer 5-10 years ago, you probably remember screensavers zipping across the screen after leaving your PC idle for a while: <strong>Colorful pipes<\/strong> zig-zag back and forth, <strong>bubbles<\/strong> lazily drifting across your desktop, or the <strong>Windows logo<\/strong> bouncing from border to border. Those of us who remember that last one are all too familiar with this struggle:<\/p>\n<p>Screensavers used to be a means of protecting <a href=\"https:\/\/electronics.howstuffworks.com\/tv3.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CRT monitors<\/a> from burn-in after being stuck on the same image for too long. Modern LCD displays are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/128644\/htg-explains-why-screen-savers-are-no-longer-necessary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">not susceptible to this risk<\/a>, and also boast higher-quality images anyway, rendering screensavers a thing of the past. However, if you&#8217;re still rocking an old CRT or plasma display &#8211; or just like the aesthetic of the screensaver &#8211; it&#8217;s still entirely possible to access it on Windows 10. Here&#8217;s how to set it in <strong>6 super easy steps<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>If you already know how to set it, but just want some cool new screensavers to install, we&#8217;ll get to that <a href=\"#getnewscreensaver\">at the bottom.<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-card-starred-link\">\r\n  <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__body\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__row clearfix\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__col-logo\">\r\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-starred-link__img\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2017\/10\/pc-192.jpg\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\">\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__col-title\">\r\n        <p class=\"sc-card-starred-link__title\">How to create a Windows 10 desktop shortcut to use your photos as a screensaver<\/p>\r\n        <a class=\"sc-card-starred-link__button\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/how-to-create-a-windows-10-desktop-shortcut-to-use-your-photos-as-a-screensaver\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer sponsored\">Read now \u25ba<\/a>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <a class=\"sc-card-starred-link__link\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/how-to-create-a-windows-10-desktop-shortcut-to-use-your-photos-as-a-screensaver\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer sponsored\"><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n<h2>How to enable screensaver<\/h2>\n<h3>1. Open Settings.<\/h3>\n<p>Go to your Settings menu either by pressing the <strong>Windows Key<\/strong> and scrolling or typing &#8220;<strong>settings<\/strong>&#8221; or <strong>simply press Win+I.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>2. Click on Personalization.<\/h3>\n<p>Front and center on the Settings page you&#8217;ll see &#8216;<strong>Personalization<\/strong>.&#8217; Click on that to open the next menu.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-130663 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/SettingsEDITED.jpg\" alt=\"Windows 10 Settings\" width=\"851\" height=\"721\" srcset=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/SettingsEDITED.jpg 851w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/SettingsEDITED-300x254.jpg 300w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/SettingsEDITED-768x651.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 851px) 100vw, 851px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>3. Click on Lock screen.<\/h3>\n<p>The Personalization menu has a few neat features you can play with, including new background pictures, adjustable contrast settings, fonts and sound effects. On the left rail you&#8217;ll see a &#8216;<strong>Lock Screen<\/strong>&#8216; option. Click that.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-130665 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/PersonalizationEDITED.jpg\" alt=\"Windows 10 Personalization\" width=\"847\" height=\"711\" srcset=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/PersonalizationEDITED.jpg 847w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/PersonalizationEDITED-300x252.jpg 300w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/PersonalizationEDITED-768x645.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 847px) 100vw, 847px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>4. Open screen saver settings<\/h3>\n<p>Scroll down to the option in green &#8220;<strong>Screen saver settings<\/strong>.&#8221; Click the link and it&#8217;ll take you right to the screensaver.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-130664 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/LockScreenEDITED.jpg\" alt=\"Windows 10 Lock Screen settings\" width=\"852\" height=\"715\" srcset=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/LockScreenEDITED.jpg 852w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/LockScreenEDITED-300x252.jpg 300w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/LockScreenEDITED-768x645.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 852px) 100vw, 852px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>5. Select the screen saver you want to use.<\/h3>\n<p>Here&#8217;s where the important stuff starts. The monitor image up top shows a preview of your current screensaver. By default it&#8217;s set to &#8216;none,&#8217; but that&#8217;s no fun. <strong>Click the drop-down<\/strong> and you&#8217;ll be able to switch between a variety of choices: <strong>Bubbles, colored waves,<\/strong> <strong>a spinning &#8220;Windows 10,&#8221;<\/strong> <strong>Photos,<\/strong> and Ribbons.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-130660 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/RibbonsEDITED.jpg\" alt=\"Windows 10 screensaver settings\" width=\"524\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/RibbonsEDITED.jpg 524w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/RibbonsEDITED-294x300.jpg 294w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 524px) 100vw, 524px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Pick the one you like and test it out by hitting the <strong>&#8216;Preview&#8217;<\/strong> button to the right. If you chose <strong>&#8216;Photos&#8217;<\/strong> you&#8217;ll also get some extra options from the <strong>&#8216;Settings&#8217;<\/strong> button, which allows you to set and toggle shuffle as well as the folder the images are being pulled from.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-130662 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/SetPhotoSettingsEDITED.jpg\" alt=\"Windows 10 screensaver photo settings\" width=\"807\" height=\"676\" srcset=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/SetPhotoSettingsEDITED.jpg 807w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/SetPhotoSettingsEDITED-300x251.jpg 300w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/SetPhotoSettingsEDITED-768x643.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 807px) 100vw, 807px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Lastly, be sure to set the wait time before your screensaver kicks in. To do this simply arrow up or down the minutes in the window under the drop-down. This will determine how frequently your screensaver triggers.<\/p>\n<h3>6. Apply your choice<\/h3>\n<p>Hit <strong>&#8216;Apply&#8217;<\/strong> on the bottom right of the window and you&#8217;re done!<\/p>\n<p>One more detail to note is that your current power settings play a part in this too. <em>Running your computer at high power will trigger your screensaver quicker than keeping it on low power.<\/em> Click <strong>OK<\/strong> to close out and enjoy your newly activated screensaver! To quickly adjust it in the future just hit Win key and start typing &#8220;change screensaver.&#8221; The top option that comes up will take you right back to the screensaver settings menu.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"getnewscreensaver\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>How to find more screensavers<\/h2>\n<p>Windows 10 gives you a handful of screensaver options from the start, but there&#8217;s a world of other options out there. Finding them is as easy as a Google search. They&#8217;ve got everything from a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.screensaversplanet.com\/screensavers\/fireplace-336\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">crackling fireplace<\/a> to the nostalgic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.screensaversplanet.com\/screensavers\/3d-pipes-494\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">3D pipes<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.screensaversplanet.com\/screensavers\/fantastic-fish-200\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">fish swimming across the screen<\/a> (your cat will love this one).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_130667\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-130667\" style=\"width: 612px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-130667 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/FishScreensaver.jpg\" alt=\"Windows 10 fish tank screensaver\" width=\"612\" height=\"374\" srcset=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/FishScreensaver.jpg 612w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/FishScreensaver-300x183.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-130667\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Finally a goldfish you won&#8217;t have to flush.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There&#8217;s even an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.screensaversplanet.com\/screensavers\/dog-licking-screen-633\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">adorable pug who&#8217;ll sit there and lick your screen<\/a>. Browse until you find the one that&#8217;s right for you, or scroll through this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/p\/screen-saver-gallery\/9nblggh5j8tx?activetab=pivot:overviewtab\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">gallery of top-rated photos<\/a> to add to your photo reel.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-card-program\">\r\n  <div class=\"sc-card-program__body\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row clearfix\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-logo\">\r\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-program__img\" alt=\"Clownfish Aquarium Live Wallpaper\" src=\"https:\/\/images.sftcdn.net\/images\/t_app-logo-l,f_auto,dpr_auto\/p\/11c667a0-9aa2-11e6-98c3-00163ed833e7\/3658289398\/clownfish-aquarium-live-wallpaper-logo.png\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\">\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-title\">\r\n        <span class=\"sc-card-program__title\">Clownfish Aquarium Live Wallpaper<\/span>\r\n        <a class=\"sc-card-program__button sc-card-program-internal\" href=\"https:\/\/clownfish-aquarium-live-wallpaper.en.softonic.com\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Free Download<\/a>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-rating\">\r\n        <svg class=\"rating-score__content\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.1\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\" viewbox=\"0 0 50 50\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 50 50\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><path class=\"rating-score__background rating-score--good\" fill=\"none\" stroke-width=\"6\" stroke-miterlimit=\"10\" d=\"M40 40c8.3-8.3 8.3-21.7 0-30s-21.7-8.3-30 0 -8.3 21.7 0 30\"><\/path><path class=\"rating-score__value rating-score__value--70\" fill=\"none\" stroke-width=\"6\" stroke-dashoffset=\"70\" stroke-miterlimit=\"10\" d=\"M40 40c8.3-8.3 8.3-21.7 0-30s-21.7-8.3-30 0 -8.3 21.7 0 30\"><\/path><text class=\"rating-score__number\" content=\"7\" text-anchor=\"middle\" transform=\"matrix(1 0 0 1 25 31.0837)\" data-auto=\"app-user-score\">7<\/text><\/svg>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row\">\r\n      <span class=\"sc-card-program__description\"><\/span>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-program__bigpic\" src=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\">\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <a class=\"sc-card-program__link track-link sc-card-program-internal\" href=\"https:\/\/clownfish-aquarium-live-wallpaper.en.softonic.com\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n<p>And there you have it! Set up your screensaver and liven up your Windows 10 with a little personality and character.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-related-articles-white\">\r\n<p class=\"sc-related-articles-white__title\">More about Windows 10<\/p>\r\n  <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__row\">\r\n    <a title=\"How to start Windows 10 in safe mode \u25ba\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/windows-10-safe-mode\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__article\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__image\">\r\n        <div style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/01\/windows-10-192.jpg)\"><\/div>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__text\">\r\n        <p>How to start Windows 10 in safe mode \u25ba<\/p>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <\/a>\r\n    <a title=\"How to turn on Bluetooth in Windows 10 \u25ba\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/bluetooth-windows-10\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__article\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__image\">\r\n        <div style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/bluetooth-192.jpg)\"><\/div>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__text\">\r\n        <p>How to turn on Bluetooth in Windows 10 \u25ba<\/p>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__row\">\r\n    <a title=\"Windows 10 has a new free Microsoft Office app \u25ba\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/windows-10-new-free-microsoft-office-app\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__article\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__image\">\r\n        <div style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2017\/12\/office-192.jpg)\"><\/div>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__text\">\r\n        <p>Windows 10 has a new free Microsoft Office app \u25ba<\/p>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <\/a>\r\n    <a title=\"Microsoft\u2019s latest trick to get you to upgrade to Windows 10 \u25ba\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/windows-media-player-metadata\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__article\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__image\">\r\n        <div style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/09\/windows10-circle-192.jpg)\"><\/div>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__text\">\r\n        <p>Microsoft\u2019s latest trick to get you to upgrade to Windows 10 \u25ba<\/p>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Make your screen more attractive with these simple steps.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9155,"featured_media":130658,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","wpcf-pageviews":1},"categories":[2441],"tags":[2351,1080,1052],"usertag":[],"vertical":[],"content-category":[],"class_list":["post-130655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to","tag-app-subdomain-redirectionwindows-10","tag-windows","tag-windows-10"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9155"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130655"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130655\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":326482,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130655\/revisions\/326482"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/130658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130655"},{"taxonomy":"usertag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/usertag?post=130655"},{"taxonomy":"vertical","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vertical?post=130655"},{"taxonomy":"content-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-category?post=130655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}