Screensaver
Screen saver guide: installation, preview, and automatic start
How do I install and use the iWallpaper screensaver?
For iWallpaper on Mac. First-time setup requires installing the component, selecting it in macOS, and choosing videos. Keep iWallpaper running while using the screen saver.
- Prepare and select videos: Download at least one dynamic wallpaper and wait for it to finish. You can also import your own video using Local → My Wallpapers → Import from Mac. Open Screen Saver under Local and click one or more videos to add them to the playlist. Setting desktop wallpaper does not automatically select it for the screen saver.
- Install the component: If it shows Not Installed, click Install and confirm in the app. If it shows Update Required, follow the upgrade prompt. You must also complete the macOS installation confirmation. If macOS requests access to Screen Saver settings, allow it as prompted. Return to the app and confirm that the component shows Installed.
- Select iWallpaper in macOS: Open System Settings, find Screen Saver, and select iWallpaper. Recent versions place it under Wallpaper → Screen Saver; some versions have a separate sidebar item. You can also search for “Screen Saver.” If iWallpaper is missing, confirm installation in the app, then close and reopen System Settings.
- Check and preview: Return to Screen Saver in iWallpaper. Confirm that the component is installed, the content service is running, and at least one video is selected. Click Screen Saver Preview and check that the expected content actually plays. Press a key or move the mouse to stop it. Playing your selected videos requires active VIP access; otherwise the default video is used.
- Configure automatic activation: Set an idle time in the system screen saver and Lock Screen settings. Let the screen saver start before the display turns off—for example, after 5 minutes, with the display turning off after 10 minutes. Enable iWallpaper’s Open at Login so the app can provide content after sign-in.
Names and locations vary by macOS version. See the Apple screen saver guide.
Labels vary by app version: Not Detected may appear as Not Installed, and Screen Saver Service may appear as Content. If you see a waiting or continue-installation button, finish the macOS confirmation and return. If a start-service button is available, use it to retry. Component version and selected-video count may not appear in every version.
Install does nothing, or the status stays Not Installed. What should I do?
- Check whether the macOS installation window appeared or is hidden behind another window.
- Complete the installation confirmation and any related permission prompt, then check the component status in the app.
- Quit and reopen iWallpaper, then check again.
Selecting videos does not install the component. If it still shows Not Installed, use Feedback to tell us whether the system window appeared, whether you confirmed installation, and whether an error was shown. If iWallpaper already appears in the system screen saver list, follow the next question.
macOS says the screensaver is already installed, but iWallpaper still asks me to install it. What should I do?
- Complete or close the macOS installation prompt, then return to iWallpaper.
- Quit and reopen iWallpaper, open Screen Saver, and allow the component status to refresh.
- If it now shows Installed, do not reinstall it—select a video and click Screen Saver Preview. If it shows Update Required, complete the upgrade.
If the two screens still disagree, use iWallpaper Feedback to send screenshots of the macOS prompt and the iWallpaper Screen Saver page, together with your macOS version. Keep Apple ID and other sensitive information out of the screenshots.
If the status still disagrees, open Finder and press Command–Shift–G. Check ~/Library/Screen Savers and /Library/Screen Savers separately for iWallpaper.saver. Tell us whether each folder contains the file, is empty, cannot be found, or cannot be accessed. Do not delete or move files. The ~ refers to your current user folder.
Preview does not play, or a different screen saver appears. What should I do?
Confirm that iWallpaper is selected in the system screen saver settings. The app’s preview button launches the screen saver currently selected by macOS, so you must complete the system selection too.
Then confirm that the component is installed, the content service is running, and at least one video is selected in the app. If only the default video plays, check your membership status. For a black screen, follow the content-service troubleshooting steps.
Why does only the default video play instead of my selected videos?
Playing your selected videos requires active VIP access. Check your membership status. If you have purchased access but it is not active, click Restore Purchase on the membership page and complete the App Store sync.
Also confirm that at least one video is selected, its file is still available, and iWallpaper remains running. If the file was deleted, download or import it again and select it on the Screen Saver page.
The default robot alone does not prove that the screen saver service is connected or tell us your membership status. Check the component and service first, then membership and video selection.
The content service fails to start, or the screen is black. What should I do?
Quit and reopen iWallpaper, open Screen Saver, and confirm that the content service is running. Select a video whose download has finished and try the preview again.
If the service still fails, or playback remains black while the service is running, send a screenshot through Feedback. Tell us whether this happens during the system preview, the in-app preview, or automatic activation.
Does the screensaver start automatically after installation?
No. Installation adds the component to macOS, but does not start playback or change your idle-time settings.
- To test it now, select iWallpaper in the system screen saver settings, then select a video in the app and click Screen Saver Preview.
- For automatic activation, configure an idle time in the system screen saver and Lock Screen settings. Let the screen saver start before the display turns off; it cannot remain visible once the display is off.
- If preview works but idle activation does not, check that iWallpaper is selected in macOS, an idle time is configured, and the display does not turn off first. Keep the app running during the check.
- Enable Open at Login to keep content available after sign-in. This launches the app; macOS controls when the screen saver starts.
What should I include in a screen saver support request?
- What happens and the steps you just took: installation fails, repeated installation requests, no preview, a black screen, only the default video, or no automatic activation.
- Whether the system installation window appeared, whether you confirmed it, and screenshots of any installation prompt or error.
- A screenshot of the app’s Screen Saver page showing the component (including its version if shown), screen saver/content service, and selected videos. Include system screen saver settings if selection is relevant.
- Your iWallpaper and macOS versions, and whether the issue happens only after waking from sleep.
Submit through Feedback in iWallpaper. Hide Apple ID, serial numbers, payment details, and other personal information before sending screenshots.
Wallpapers and search
Import your own media and find seasonal themes
Can I use my own image or video as wallpaper?
Yes. In iWallpaper for Mac, open Local → My Wallpapers, click Import from Mac, and choose one image or video. Select it after import to use it as desktop wallpaper. To use an imported video as a screensaver, select it again on the Screen Saver page.
If you do not see Import from Mac, update iWallpaper to the latest version. Some video formats cannot be read directly; follow the in-app conversion prompt and import the converted file again.
How do I find Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, or other seasonal wallpapers?
Switch to a discovery page such as Wallpaper Library, Featured, or Dynamic, then use the search field in the top-right corner. Try keywords such as “Christmas,” “Halloween,” or “Valentine’s Day,” as well as translated terms when useful.
The search field is hidden on My Wallpapers and Screen Saver. Results depend on the current online library and your network connection; a missing result does not mean a dedicated seasonal collection already exists.
VIP and purchases
A purchase has not activated
I paid for VIP, but it is not active. What should I do?
- Make sure the Mac is online and the Mac App Store is signed in with the same Apple Account used for the purchase.
- Open the iWallpaper membership page, click Restore Purchase, and complete the App Store sync prompt.
- After Purchase Restored appears, return to the app. Reopen iWallpaper if the membership display still needs to refresh.
- If iWallpaper reports that no purchase is available, check the item in Apple’s subscription or purchase history. Expired, refunded, or revoked items no longer provide access.
If the issue continues, send the purchase type and approximate time, a screenshot of the error, your iWallpaper version, and your macOS version through Feedback. Never send your full Apple ID, card number, or other payment credentials.
Still need help
Send the key screens so the issue is easier to diagnose.
Open Feedback in iWallpaper, describe the action you just completed, and attach the error prompt, the relevant feature page, your iWallpaper version, and your macOS version. Hide Apple ID, serial numbers, payment details, and other personal information before submitting.
