A quick scan on Amazon reveals a variety of [accessories to enhance your Apple TV experience](https://www.bgr.com/1933478/apple-tv-accessories-on-amazon/). For example, a Bluetooth keyboard can make it quicker to search for the title of your favorite series without incessantly pressing the remote. In addition, noise-cancelling earbuds are perfect for private listening when you wish to avoid disturbing your housemates.
While external devices provide convenient enhancements, one of the most enjoyable aspects of your Apple TV comes from a built-in option: screen savers. Streaming devices and modern televisions frequently come with integrated screen savers that prevent image retention. This occurs when images become permanently displayed on the screen due to prolonged inactivity. Aside from safeguarding your display, screen savers serve as a simple method to integrate your TV into your living area seamlessly. Instead of appearing as an empty and dull black spot on the wall, your television can transform into a piece of art featuring gallery-quality visuals, a digital photo frame showcasing your cherished moments, or an exhibition of stunning landscapes and cityscapes from around the world.
For your Apple TV, you can choose from four screen saver styles: Aerials, which feature videos of scenic locations; Memories & Slideshows that display photos from your iCloud Photo Library; Portraits, which show digital clocks with your selected images in the background; or Snoopy, which includes themed videos featuring Peanuts characters Snoopy and Woodstock. The screen saver is adjustable and configurable, making it simple to tailor it to your taste. Here’s how to set up and utilize screen savers on your Apple TV.
### How to set up screen savers on your Apple TV
By default, Apple TVs come with screen savers enabled. The device will automatically rotate through all available Aerial videos after five minutes of inactivity. You can easily customize your Apple TV’s screen saver settings according to your preferences. Here’s the process:
1. Navigate to Settings.
2. Select Screen Saver.
3. Change Current Selection to the desired type of screen saver you wish to display.
4. Adjust Start After to your preferred delay period between your last interaction with the TV and the activation of the screen saver.
5. Turn off Show During Music and Podcasts to disable the screen saver while music or a podcast is playing.
You can further personalize each screen saver type directly from the Settings too:
1. Go to Settings, then Screen Saver.
2. To customize Aerials:
– Under Screen Saver Preferences, click on Aerials.
– Set the Download Frequency (how often Aerial videos are downloaded) to Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Never.
– Choose one of the themes (Cityscape, Earth, Landscape, or Underwater) to show.
3. To customize Memories & Slideshows:
– Select Memories & Slideshows.
– Under Your Photos, click on Memories.
– Choose All Memories to include all images, or Favorites to display only your selected favorites.
– Go to Albums to select specific albums, just your favorite pictures, or your recently shared album.
– Under Other, select Music Albums to utilize album art from your Apple Music library.
– Whenever available, go to Style and choose your preferred transition style.
4. To customize Portraits:
– Press Portraits.
– Select which options (People, Pets, Nature, and Cities) to include.
– Adjust the update frequency to your desired time interval for portrait transitions.
Remember that for Memories & Slideshows and Portraits, you need to set up iCloud Photos on your Apple TV first.
### How to control your Apple TV screen saver
While you can determine the inactivity period before the Apple TV screen saver activates, you also have the option to manually turn it on. This is one of the [valuable Apple TV tips every user should know](https://www.bgr.com/tech/apple-tv-hidden-features-9-helpful-tricks-everyone-should-know/). You can initiate the screen saver from your home screen or within any app. From the home screen, press the back button on your Apple TV remote once, then long-press it. From any app, simply press the back button multiple times. Your selected screen saver should appear. During the screen saver, you can still interact with it. Here’s how:
1. Press the up button on your remote to view all screen saver types and switch to a different one.
2. Tap the clickpad on your remote to reveal information about the screen saver. If it’s an Aerial shot, the location will be displayed. If it’s a Memory, it will indicate which one is being shown.
3. Swipe/press right on your remote to navigate to the next visual.
