How to Create a Screen Saver Shortcut on Mac: 3 Methods Explained

Screen savers are here to stay. While they may no longer be a force to be reckoned with on modern displays, they still give a dynamic look to the display that otherwise appears idle. From a personal configuration point of view, it’s hard to replace screen savers with anything else. And if you prefer to use a screen saver on your Mac, you would probably like to make a quick shortcut to start/end it using a simple click or a swift gesture. Follow along to discover three ways to create a screen saver shortcut on Mac, should you find my guessing game spot on.

3 Ways to Make Screen Saver Shortcut on macOS

3 Ways to Make Screen Saver Shortcut on macOS

First up, let’s have a little bit of sneak-peek into what we are going to walk -through. Well, we’ll be using the classy Dock, Hot Corners, and the versatile Automator to make screen saver shortcuts on macOS. Depending on your convenience, you can choose any methods to get started. If you are fond of Dock, a Dock icon could be your thing. But if you like to have a taste of smooth gesture, a hot corner shortcut could well be the right pick for you. As for Automator Quick Action, it may appeal to you, if you love to use quickkeyboard shortcuts on your Mac.

Make a Screen Saver Shortcut with a Dock Icon on macOS

Make a Screen Saver Shortcut with a Dock Icon on macOS

First off, we are going to make a screen saver using the Dock icon. The process is quite straightforward.

  1. Open theFinder appand then click on theGomenu.

  2. Now, clickGo to Folderin the menu.

  3. Now,paste the below-given locationin the box and hitGo.

  4. Next, a folder will open on the screen. LocateScreenSaverEngineand then drag it on theDock.

Going forward, you canjust click on this Dock iconto kickstart the screen saver on your Mac.

Create Screen Saver Shortcut Using Hot Corners

Making a screen saver using theHot Corners featureis just as simple. For those unfamiliar, the Hot Corners allow you to start/stop a custom action just by moving the pointer to one of the corners of the Mac screen.

  1. Click on theApple menuat the top left of the screen ->System Preferences->Desktop & Screen Saver.

  2. Now, click on theScreen Saver taband chooseHot Corners.

  3. Next, select the corner you want to use in the drop-down menu and click onStart Screen Saver. Finally, click onOKto finish.

Create Screen Saver Shortcut Using Automator Quick Action

Though the Automator Quick Action/Service method is not as straightforward as the above-explained ways, it’s not complex either. So, you shouldn’t find it inconvenient even if you are yet to get a good hang of the Automator app.

  1. Now, click onActionsoption at the top left corner and then chooseUtilities.

  2. Next, locateStart Screen Saverand drag it to the Workflow window on the right.

  3. After that, click on theFile menuand selectSave. Then, give asuitable name to the workflowand click onSave.

  4. Next up, it’s time to set up a keyboard shortcut for it. To do so, launchSystem Preferences -> Keyboard.

  5. Now, click on theShortcutstab.

  6. Now, click onServiceson the left. Then, scroll down to the bottom and click onNoneto the right of theQuick Action/Serviceyou have just created.

After that,enter the desired keyboard combination. Make sure to choose the keyboard combination that’s not being used.

Create Screen Saver Shortcuts for Mac

So, these are the cool screen saver shortcuts for Mac. I hope you have found these hacks quite helpful. From what I can tell, they can prove to be pretty handy in letting you get the most out of screen savers. Just in case, you have missed out on some of the equally interesting tricks that we have covered recently, I would recommend you check out how toautomatically resize images using Automator Quick Actionand how toturn off/on dark mode using a switch on Mac. By the way, feel free to share your feedback and also tip us if you know any such cool hacks.

Rajesh Mishra

An old school bibliophile who turned a tech nerd out of obsession. When he is not digging into hacks and tracking down stories that are breaking the internet, you may find him reciting poems.

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