How can I trigger the screensaver on my Mac?
Solution 1
If you don't want to use Expose, there's another option:
On Sierra or lower, the screensaver is actually an application located at:
/System/Library/Frameworks/ScreenSaver.framework/Versions/A/Resources/ScreenSaverEngine.app
On High Sierra it is located at:
/System/Library/CoreServices/ScreenSaverEngine.app/Contents/MacOS/ScreenSaverEngine
You can just make an alias/shortcut to this app, drag the shortcut into your dock or wherever you want it and when you want the screensaver you can just launch the app.
Solution 2
Settings -> Expose and Spaces -> Expose -> Acive Screen Corners -> Pick one of the corners and choose Start Screen Saver.
I chose top left and set a password for my mac so whenever someone is around and I need to step away I simply slide my mouse to the top left and bam..screensaver innocently starts hehe :D
Solution 3
You can also make an app in Automator.
- Open a new workflow. Choose "Application"
- Browse to "Utilities" in the "Actions" pane
- Drag the "Start Screen Saver" action to the workflow window on the right
- Choose "Save As", name it "start screensaver", file format is "Application"
- Save it in your applications folder
The bonus to this is that you can launch it via Spotlight just by using the spotlight shortcut and typing "scree" for it to appear
Solution 4
You could consider combining ideas. Have a very short delay before your screen saver starts up (<5 mins) Use the 'hot corner' mentioned earlier. And for extra geeky fun - you can have your mac watch for a bluetooth signal (from your phone in your pocket) and when it goes out of range - start up your screensaver.
These links explain in more detail:
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/33239/proximity%2c-bluetooth%2c-screensaver-security
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20091221173111783&query=
http://code.google.com/p/reduxcomputing-proximity/
But then you have to make sure you keep your phone in your pocket and not sitting on the table next to your mac! :)
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Andrew Warner
Updated on September 17, 2022Comments
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Andrew Warner almost 2 years
When I step away from my computer, I want to turn the screensaver on. Any suggestions for how I could do that?
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Chealion almost 14 yearsDo you have the screen saver set to automatically turn on after a couple minutes when you walk away? (Desktop and Screen Saver Preference Pane in System Preferences)
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David Yates almost 14 yearsthat's what I do, too .. and I have the upper-right corner be the screen off option.
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mk12 almost 14 yearsYou can just press ⌃⇧⏏ (Control-Shift-Eject) to turn off the display, or ⌥⌘⏏ (Option-Command-Eject) to sleep. Also, if you have a magic mouse you can use magicprefs.com to e.g. activate the screensaver by touching the apple stem.
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chuckg over 12 yearsThis is my preferred method over an alias because, unlike an alias, an automator app can be dropped into "Applications" and run from Spotlight without receiving the "This application is used by Mac OS S and can't be opened" error. Win!
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MarkHu over 11 yearsUnintuitively, setting a password for the screensaver is not in the Screen Saver control panel, but in the "Security & Privacy" control panel.
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Ramya Love Ramya over 7 yearsIt's not there anymore on Sierra.
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Ricky Nelson over 4 yearsThis is definitely the way to do this so you can run it from Spotlight!