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

sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.screensaver loginWindowIdleTime 0

Issue above command (provided by Apple support) by launching Terminal app (Finder -> Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal) from your admin login account. Please make sure to type exactly as shown above as these commands are case sensitive.

It did fixed my screensaver issue and I am good until I get it addressed by SW Update. I have also filed a OS bug report about this and Apple is aware of this and hopeful they are going to address this on a future release. Apple acknowledged this is not HW related.

My machine is "MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)".

I have seen this too -- the screensaver suddenly turns on and the computer becomes unusable. I am also using it w/ the same scenario (two users use the computer and we switch between sessions). It seems as if the screensaver is coming from the non-active session.

I have learned this trick -- close the lid of the laptop and reopen it. You don't have to do a full restart.

I am using an M1 Macbook Air and Big Sur.

Disable 'Fast user switching' on both accounts manually.

Uncheck the box + Remove it from control center too.

Do this on both account.

Remove it from menu bar on both as well.

This worked for me on a mac mini m1.

Apple knows about the issue, it'll be fixed on the next update. In the mean time, just close the lid and reopen.

There's no such thing as perfect software, but don't worry, you'll love your mac when apple pushes the next update.

Bugs happen.

This worked for me.. but now I want to try a third party screensaver.. and it wont play. Guessing it is because I applied the command line "fix".

How can I undo that... fix?

Thank you for your time

Ralph

I got my new M1 MacBook yesterday (Big Sur 11.1) and I already had this issue several times. I find that I can sometimes return from the screen saver by clicking log in to another user account and then write the same user account name as the one I was using, but it takes several attempts and it is really annoying of course. I have set hot corners to start screen saver in one of the corners but I am very sure I did not hit that corner by accident. Also, if I did, I would still be able to get turn the screen saver off. I have "show fast user switching menu" set to "as icon".

Yes. I was trying to install a third party screensaver and was doing it wrong. i made the assumption that the "fix" stopped all screensaver action. I was wrong and once I installed my SS properly all works as it should

Thanks

i just purchased a MacBook Air and it is doing the same thing. I am having a very hard time with Apple support about this. I contacted them within the two week window to return the laptop and they have not resolved the issue with me. Every support person that I have spoken with has told me a different story and they keep putting me off and apologizing for my inconvenience. In fact, they are acting like they are doing ME a favor to look into the my “complaint.”

I need to know the answers to the following questions:

1) Have others had trouble returning new laptops? They are telling me the issue with returning the brand new laptop is related to my serial number.

2) Does this screensaver issue ONLY happen with the MacBook Air, because I am trying to decide if I should not replace this “lemon” with another Air that will have the same problem.

Thanks for your feedback about this. In closing I would like to add that mo one at Apple has admitted that this is a known problem, They are acting like this is an isolated instance; however, this thread leads me to believe otherwise.

Thanks!

I had no issue exchanging my MacBook Pro within the 14 day return window. However, the issue still occurs on the new one. Until I disabled “fast switch user”. I no longer have the issue after disabling that. Apparently Apple is aware of the issue and will resolve it on the next OS update. Also It is reported to not be a hardware issue, it’s software.

Just got the 2020 MacBook Pro and same issues! Happened 3x! Frustrating. Brand new and couldn't use it longer than 15 min before it happened. Apple should be repairing this. I don't want to disable fast switching just to prevent this - defeats the purpose of getting a new MacBook Pro with all these new functions.

Yes, updating to latest version which looks to have corrected the issue. Ran a couple of days with both profiles active, turned fast switching back on and using...no random screen saver activation this far. Recommend updating.

So frustrating this problem, the same as others report I am using 2020 MacBook Air M1 (8GB/256GB) Big Sur 11.0.1. It become extremely inconvenient when trying to work. I hope that the update will sort this out asap.

my wife has the m1 MBA and I don’t know if it’s been fixed yet... definitely. I never upgraded my MBP for work to Big Sur and have been afraid to do it so I don’t have to start ending video calls to close my kid.

will not be early updater of next OS... never know what’s gonna happen w a new product

@Ralph6410:

Actually when you might have been having fun with your Apple Lisa, I was teaching myself DOS with my IBM XT. Good times.

The M1 is great. My wife uses for personal and work but does not have a lot of video calls. Meanwhile my entire job is video calls. I would have upgraded to Big Sur on day 1 but didn't have time.... and then was dealing with the M1 and realized that it was a Big Sur issue. Lucked out. When they have the M2 (or whatever) MBP next year, I will be pre-ordering. But this whole experience made me hesitate to upgrade to the next OS, which I normally love to do because it would be a major cost to be offline for a day, if I could not do video calls.

On a separate note, that same MBA M1 has recommended battery service from day 1. I thought it was a software glitch because the battery has been fine but have to find a time to give it up for a week to take in for service.

Never an Apple fan, back in the Lisa days I was struggling with a Franklin Ace and CPM. Recently I bought an iPad, liked "some" of the features and sprung for a MBA M1. (emphasis on some features)

I agree upgrading one OS for a new OS is fraught with danger... I still have Windows 7 on most of my computers. But incremental bug fixes, I say... go for them.