User level: Level 1 (25 points)iMacPro 2017, recently updated to MacOS 15.8 and now Screen Saver suddenly pops up even though my screen is ACTIVE, with PBS news running on full screen. I've had to shut off Screen Saver completely.
Are there ways to fix it?
Posted on Sep 24, 2026 7:45 PM
User level: Level 9 (77,942 points)Sep 25, 2026 8:08 AM in response to imyoung
In addition to what Matti said - I think that you may be misled as to what it means to be "active"; it requires user intervention. Just having a video playback on the screen does NOT count as "active". So if you start a video and do not touch the keyboard, trackpad or mouse for the time set for the screensaver, it will run.
Or... perhaps you have a Hot Corner set that activates the screen saver?
User level: Level 7 (22,314 points)Sep 25, 2026 1:22 AM in response to imyoung
I set a Hot Corner to disable Screen Saver if I don't do any mouse movements while watching a lengthy video.
User level: Level 1 (25 points)Sep 25, 2026 9:29 PM in response to Luis Sequeira1
Luis, thank you for your explanations.
No set hotspots before now. Screen Saver has been set at 5 minutes for years. I've been streaming one hour long Public Television News nearly every night. On Saturday night I often watch PBS movies - some of them nearly 3 hrs long without touching keyboard or mouse and at times having to walk away from the screen. Screen Saver has never interrupted streaming before.
However, my machine is an Intel iMac and I have had other recent "irregularities" despite all software being up to date. It's probably time to get a new iMac and in the meantime follow Matti's advice. - I. M.
User level: Level 10 (187,102 points)Sep 26, 2026 3:14 AM in response to Community User
just to add, screen savers have that name because with old crt monitors displaying the same image for a long period would make it burn into the phosphor in the crt
unless one has an OLED display, burn-in is not really a thing now, so unless one finds the screen saver to be pretty, or if it totally turns off the display, saving some electricity, they are not necessary
User level: Level 1 (25 points)Sep 25, 2026 8:48 PM in response to Matti Haveri
Matti, Thanks for your tip. Have set a Hot Corner to disable Screen Saver. - I. M.
Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256364522