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Screensaver comes on randomly and prevents use in Big Sur and M1

We have a new MacBook Pro M1 with Big Sur 11.0.1 and already in a half dozen instances the screensaver has come on in the midst of using the computer, despite having screensavers turned off. When the screensaver appears randomly, the computer becomes unusable and has to be restarted to function again.


Anyone else have this issue?


Interestingly, I am the guest user of this MBP and this started to happen on my GF's side after I once turned the screensaver on in my partition. I have since turned my screensaver setting off but it still happens. I think this should provide a clue to the engineers, because it only happens in the main user partition.

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Posted on Nov 24, 2020 8:39 AM

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Posted on Nov 28, 2020 6:51 PM

Hi Grant, while you insist that Apple engineers cannot be reached by posting here, I do want to remind you that in 2013 Apple acquired Topsy, a social media monitoring firm to listen in on social media conversations and parse through the entire web to monitor sentiment. I can assure you that while individual engineers do not read these forums, product marketing generates reports of overheard bugs that cause negative sentiment. 🙂

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Nov 28, 2020 6:51 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Hi Grant, while you insist that Apple engineers cannot be reached by posting here, I do want to remind you that in 2013 Apple acquired Topsy, a social media monitoring firm to listen in on social media conversations and parse through the entire web to monitor sentiment. I can assure you that while individual engineers do not read these forums, product marketing generates reports of overheard bugs that cause negative sentiment. 🙂

Dec 7, 2020 1:16 PM in response to Michael Tchong

Thanks for this tip. I've just applied it - will see how it goes.

I've also had the same issue, ended up with reinstalling OS and ultimately making MBA 2020 M1 unbootable, as I hit the other known issue as described here: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252137328 Ended up recovering it from second Mac - this is really dissapointing that system reinstallation requires second Mac with quite modern spec to begin with (supporting Apple Configurator 2).

Therefore I'm after full system recovery now and Screensaver started again despite the fact being set "Start after: Never".

What has changed though I was able to go back to the system without the need of putting it to Sleep (which was the case before reinstall).

Either way, I've scheduled a call with support and also will try to report it as a bug, as this surely shouldn't be the case.


Jan 18, 2021 10:20 PM in response to fricardo203

Do not have any Battery preference... maybe because I'm on a Mac Mini.

By the way... they are talking about us in mac rumors : https://www.macrumors.com/2021/01/18/m1-macs-fast-user-switching-screensaver-bug/

Hope the buzz might help us to get noticed by Apple support...

I sent my feedback using https://www.apple.com/feedback/macos.html. (so far no response)

As they say : "The more the merrier"... come on guys feed apple support with your screensaver bug !


Jan 18, 2021 7:46 AM in response to Sceetor

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Nov 24, 2020 3:12 PM in response to Michael Tchong

Michael Tchong wrote:
...
I think this should provide a clue to the engineers,
...


Your posting here on the Apple user-to-User support communities has not reached Apple engineers, and we have no pathway to do so. I can assure you no one has reported a similar set of problems here with an M1-MacBook Pro.


To reach Apple Engineers, you need to use the Contact support Link at the top of every forum Web page, and follow that process through the first responder to get them to record a Big report. Bug reports, serviced and failed computers are the main ways Apple Engineers get problems that they will investigate.

Nov 29, 2020 6:51 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I have this problem as well. Using a MacBook Air with M1 Big Sur updated to 11.0.1. Happens on both admin accounts. Disabled screensaver in both accounts. I don’t know what a hot corner is. How do you get out of screensaver when it’s locked up? It goes to the screensaver Drift while I’m in the middle of banking and also another investment site. No other apps open at the time.

Dec 7, 2020 7:16 AM in response to Michael Tchong

Thanks, tried and seemed to work for a while, then randomly started again. Frustrating.


Has anyone noticed that when you initially go to the screensavers tab, it has to “build” first before you can see the screen savers?

Forgot to mention in last post, but I noticed this happening twice, once on the first MBA (since retuned after support determined some hardware issue) and now with the replacement. It only happens once, the the tab is active consistently after that. Wonder if I never clicked on the tab in the first place, the screensaver issue would not have started?

Dec 7, 2020 1:55 PM in response to adas3012

it didn't take too long... Issue reoccurred again despite the battery and power adapter settings turn display off after set to Never in addition to Screensaver set to Never.

One more question - I'm wondering if setting multiple users on Mac can be contributor to this one, i.e. lack of action on other account can kick off screensaver on the account that is being used for some reason.

Can you confirm you are and have been encountering this issue with single or multiple users configured on MacOS?

Screensaver comes on randomly and prevents use in Big Sur and M1

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