Where to find the screen saver settings on Apple TV

The screen saver settings live in the Apple TV Settings app, not in a separate menu. Open Settings from the home screen, then go to AirPlay and HomeKit, then select Screen Saver. From there you can choose which screen saver plays and how long the TV waits before it turns on.

The exact path depends on your tvOS version, but the Settings app is always the starting point. If you have an older Apple TV model running tvOS 11 or earlier, the screen saver option may be under a different submenu — look for it under Users and Accounts or General instead.

Key Takeaways

  • Screen saver settings are in Settings > AirPlay and HomeKit > Screen Saver on current Apple TV models.
  • You can choose from built-in screen savers like Aerial, Colors, Floating, or Kaleidoscope, or use your own photos from iCloud Photo Library.
  • The idle time setting controls how many minutes pass before the screen saver starts — the default is usually 2 or 3 minutes.
  • If you want your own photos as a screen saver, you must have iCloud Photo Library turned on in Settings > Users and Accounts.

Choosing a built-in screen saver

Apple TV comes with several built-in screen savers. Aerial shows 4K video of cities and landscapes around the world. Colors displays slowly shifting color gradients. Floating shows geometric shapes moving across the screen. Kaleidoscope creates symmetrical patterns. Vintage shows a retro-style bouncing logo.

To pick one, go to Settings > AirPlay and HomeKit > Screen Saver, then select the one you want. The preview will show you what it looks like. If you have an Apple TV 4K, Aerial is the default and uses your internet connection to read the videos — they play in rotation so you see different locations each time the screen saver starts.

Using your own photos as a screen saver

You can display photos from your iCloud Photo Library as a screen saver instead of using a built-in option. This requires iCloud Photo Library to be turned on in your Apple ID settings on the Apple TV itself.

First, go to Settings > Users and Accounts, select your Apple ID, then turn on iCloud Photo Library. Once that is on, go back to Settings > AirPlay and HomeKit > Screen Saver and select Photos. The screen saver will pull images from your library and display them in a slideshow format. You can adjust the transition speed and whether photos shuffle or play in order.

Setting the idle time before the screen saver starts

The idle time is how long your Apple TV waits without any input before turning on the screen saver. The default is usually 2 or 3 minutes, but you can change it to 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or Never.

To adjust this, go to Settings > AirPlay and HomeKit > Screen Saver and look for the Start After option. Select the time you prefer. If you choose Never, the screen saver will not start automatically — your TV will just stay on the home screen or whatever app you were using.

Turning off the screen saver entirely

If you do not want a screen saver at all, set the Start After option to Never. This prevents any screen saver from appearing, though your TV will still display the home screen or the app you were last using.

Turning off the screen saver does not affect sleep settings — your TV can still go to sleep or turn off based on other power settings in the Settings app. Screen saver and sleep are separate functions.

Troubleshooting screen saver problems

If your screen saver is not showing up, first check that the idle time is not set to Never. Then restart your Apple TV by going to Settings > System > Restart. If you are using photos and they are not appearing, make sure iCloud Photo Library is turned on and that you have photos in your library.

If Aerial is not loading videos, check that your Apple TV is connected to the internet. Aerial downloads 4K video files, so a weak or slow connection can prevent them from loading. You can test your connection in Settings > AirPlay and HomeKit > Wi-Fi. If the problem persists, try selecting a different screen saver temporarily, then switch back to Aerial.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a custom video as my screen saver?

No, Apple TV does not support custom video files as a screen saver. You can use the built-in screen savers or your own photos from iCloud Photo Library. If you want to display a video, you would need to play it through an app or AirPlay instead.

Does the screen saver use a lot of power?

The screen saver keeps your TV display on, so it uses more power than if the TV were asleep. If you want to save power, set the idle time to a shorter duration or use the sleep settings instead. The Aerial screen saver uses slightly more power than the others because it streams video.

Why are my photos not showing up in the screen saver?

iCloud Photo Library must be turned on in Settings > Users and Accounts for photos to appear. Also check that you actually have photos in your iCloud library — if you only have videos or if your library is empty, nothing will display. You may need to wait a few minutes for photos to sync to your Apple TV after turning on iCloud Photo Library.

Can I set different screen savers for different users?

Each user profile on your Apple TV can have its own screen saver settings. Switch to a different user account, then go to Settings > AirPlay and HomeKit > Screen Saver to change the settings for that user. The screen saver that plays depends on which user is logged in when the idle time expires.