# What Is ~/Library/Screen Savers on Mac?

> ~/Library/Screen Savers holds third-party .saver modules you installed. Removing one only takes it off the list in Screen Saver settings.

- Updated: 2026-10-10
- URL: https://fresh.ist/library/screen-savers/

**TL;DR:** ~/Library/Screen Savers contains the third-party screen savers you've installed for your account, as .saver bundles (and sometimes .qtz compositions). Apple's own screen savers live elsewhere. Removing a module here just drops it from Screen Saver settings, and macOS falls back to a built-in one if it was selected.

## Definition

- Full path: `~/Library/Screen Savers`
- Scope: user (inside your home folder)
- Freshist checks this folder when uninstalling an app. When you uninstall an app, Freshist looks here for items that belong to it. Matches on the app's bundle ID can be pre-selected; name-only guesses are labeled “not sure” and never pre-selected. Removed items go to the Trash, so you can undo.

## What's in this folder

A Mac screen saver is a plug-in bundle with the `.saver` extension, built on Apple's ScreenSaver framework. Older ones were sometimes Quartz Composer files ending in `.qtz`. When you double-click a downloaded `.saver`, macOS asks whether to install it for you only or for all users. "Only for this user" puts it in `~/Library/Screen Savers`. "All users" puts it in `/Library/Screen Savers`, which needs an administrator password.

Apple's own screen savers aren't stored in either place. They ship with macOS in the protected system volume, so you'll often find this folder empty or missing.

## Why it matters

Screen saver modules are small, so storage is rarely the issue. They show up in two other ways:

- **Broken entries.** Modules built for older macOS versions can fail to load and appear as errors, or leave a blank preview, in Screen Saver settings.
- **Unexpected resource use.** Some third-party modules, such as video-based or web-based ones, can keep the GPU and fans busy while the screen saver is showing.

| Location | Contains | Change it? |
|---|---|---|
| `~/Library/Screen Savers` | Modules you installed for your account | Yes |
| `/Library/Screen Savers` | Modules installed for every account | Admin password needed |
| macOS system volume | Apple's built-in screen savers | No |

## Checking what's installed

Open **System Settings → Screen Saver** and scroll through the list; third-party modules usually appear in a group below Apple's. In Terminal, these commands only read:

```
ls -la ~/Library/"Screen Savers"
ls -la /Library/"Screen Savers"
du -sh ~/Library/"Screen Savers"
```

## Removing a screen saver

1. In **System Settings → Screen Saver**, choose a different screen saver if the one you're removing is selected.
2. In Finder, choose **Go → Go to Folder…** and enter `~/Library/Screen Savers`.
3. Move the `.saver` bundle to the Trash.
4. Close and reopen System Settings. The module should be gone from the list.

If a module from the shared `/Library/Screen Savers` folder is the problem, Finder asks for an administrator password when you move it to the Trash.

Some screen savers come with a companion app, for example one that downloads wallpapers or videos. That app may keep downloaded media in [Application Support](/library/application-support/) or [Caches](/library/caches/), which can be much larger than the module itself. Check there after removing it.

## What to keep

Leave modules you actually use, and keep the screen saver you've chosen selected before removing anything else. The idle time before it starts is set separately, under **System Settings → Lock Screen**, so removing modules doesn't change your lock or display sleep settings.

## Sources

- [Change Screen Saver settings on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/change-screen-saver-settings-mchlp1227/mac) (Apple Support)
- [ScreenSaver framework](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/screensaver) (Apple Developer Documentation)
- [Mac OS X directories: the Library folder](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/FileManagement/Conceptual/FileSystemProgrammingGuide/MacOSXDirectories/MacOSXDirectories.html) (Apple File System Programming Guide)

## Frequently asked questions

### Where are Apple's aerial screen savers stored?

Not here. The built-in modules are part of macOS, and the aerial videos are downloaded to a system location managed by macOS. This folder only contains screen savers you added.

### Can a screen saver keep running in the background after I remove it?

A screen saver runs inside a macOS host process only while it's showing. Once the .saver file is gone and the host restarts, it can't run, though a stuck host process may linger until you log out.

### Why does Screen Saver settings say a module can't be opened or isn't compatible?

Older modules weren't built for Apple silicon or for the way current macOS loads screen savers. If the developer hasn't updated it, the only fix is removing it.

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Canonical page: https://fresh.ist/library/screen-savers/
Official site: https://fresh.ist/ (fresh.ist only)
Generated: 2026-10-10