How to enable a different picture for each display on a triple monitor configuration in Apple Photos?

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How to enable a different picture for each display on a triple monitor configuration in Apple Photos?

I have a Mac mini with three 4k displays and use a Photos Album for a screensaver in random mode. Apparently not very random, the screen saver picks often the same photo on two or even on all three displays. Restarting the screensaver multiple times, the number of the same or different photos across each screen changes, making it pretty much unpredictable how photos will be displayed, all different, or two or all three the same.

In Apple -> System Settings a different wallpaper can be selected for each screen, still looking for an option to do for the screen saver.

Either the screensaver should be able to detect duplicate photos, or select different albums just like Desktop Wallpaper.

Any recommendation(s)?

Mac mini, macOS 14.2

Posted on Dec 18, 2023 6:50 PM

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Answer 1

Dec 19, 2023 1:55 AM in response to Tom Gerkens

You CAN choose different screen savers for different displays, just as with Wallpapers.

You just need to uncheck "Show on all Spaces" first, then the option to select display will appear.

You could choose different photos folders for different displays, maybe that would help.

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Answer 2

Tom Gerkens Author

Level 1

44 points

Dec 19, 2023 6:10 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Hmmmh ... almost ... still does not work. Each display can choose a unique screen saver but there is only one option for photos. The Photos option would have to show up more than once. With one Photos option only, the same photo will be shown on all displays.

'Show on all Spaces' shows the same screen saver on all displays, disabling the function allows to select different screen savers per display. But ... 'Photos' shows up only once.

'Photos' is kind of understatement, since it allows not just photos to select but pretty much any file on the system.

I doubt I am the first one to report this issue, multiple monitor set-ups seem to be very common.

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Answer 3

Tom Gerkens Author

Level 1

44 points

Dec 19, 2023 1:30 PM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Not quite my experience, using the same folder, the screensaver CAN pick two different photos or may just display the same photo on both screens of the iMac, or the three screens on the Mac Mini.

I started the screensaver over and over again, with varying results. Either different pictures on both (iMac) or all three (Mac Mini) screens, but at least 50% of the time the same photo.

In MacOS Sonoma 14.2 there are some 70+ screensaver options, i.e. they can be selected each for a different screen but only one option to use the Photos Library or any other files on the computer.

'Should be easy to fix if Apple is up for it.

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Answer 4

Tom Gerkens Author

Level 1

44 points

Dec 26, 2023 12:29 PM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Our family (I) had a chance to watch the screensaver for a while during the holidays. The screensaver app is random in a sense that it would start with three of the same or two or all different photos at random. Eventually it changes how it display the photos, three different photos, then two, then all the same photo for a period before it changes again vice versa. Also, it seems to repeat some of the pictures within just a few minutes. With several thousand pictures loaded and no duplicates, no photo should be shown twice until each other photo had been shown.

The iPhone enables panoramic shots but the screensaver shows the photo on one screen. It would be nice to have a panoramic photo stretch out over all three screens, much more impressive.

The only way to get around so far is create a FCPX slide show, a very tedious process and very large file sizes very quickly.

Software like FotoMagico are limited to control once screen only.

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Answer 5

Dec 19, 2023 6:39 AM in response to Tom Gerkens

I just chose a folder of pictures and different images are showing in my two displays.

To clarify, the same location is used in all displays, but not the same photos. Yes, it would be nice if one display could show images from one folder, and a different display could show images from another folder. That does not seem to be possible. But they do show different images at the same time, so it's not like you can have only one image in all displays.

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