While you’re here, it also might be a good idea to place a checkmark next to Disable automatic login, which will prevent your Mac from automatically going to the desktop when you turn on your Mac, and will instead ask for a password first. The next thing you’ll want to do is place a checkmark next to Require password, and then in the drop-down menu next to that, you can select an option for when you want to require a password after the screen saver is activated. From there, select the General tab at the top if it isn’t already selected.

Instead, you’ll need to open System Preferences and click on Security & Privacy. While you would normally set up a password for your Mac account in the Users & Groups section in System Preferences, setting up a screen saver password is in a different area. Here’s how to set a screen saver password on Mac. This is why it might be a good idea to enable a screen saver password, so that even after you log on, your computer will lock itself down after a specific amount of time of inactivity. However, by default, once you’re logged in and you step away for a bit, someone can come by and get on your Mac without needing any credentials. However, it’s different than having a password that you enter to initially log onto your Mac, so when you first boot up your machine, you’ll be greeted with a login page where you’ll enter in a password in order to get to your desktop. Once your screen saver activates, your Mac locks itself down so that when you come back, you’ll have to enter in a password to use your computer again.Įssentially, it’s a security feature that prevents prying eyes from accessing your computer, even after you logged on. What’s the purpose of a screen savor password? Well, essentially it’s great if you’re in a public place and have to walk away from your computer for a bit. It’s pretty easy to set a password for your Mac and have your computer require the password to log on, but here’s how to set a screen saver password that requires you to enter it every time you want to get back on your Mac.

Changing screen saver mac