It's still pretty common for screen devices like TVs and computers to have screensavers when they go idle. It's a pretty image that plays while the device is not in use, but it looks like YouTube has better ideas about what to show users. Instead of picturesque scenes, the streaming site wants to show you thumbnails.

YouTube Hijacks Screensavers

Apple has its own collection of beautiful scenes to put on when its TVs are on but not in use. The tvOS displays screensavers that provide a good ambiance for the room, but that's no longer the case for some users as they are now greeted with YouTube screenshots and thumbnails.

One user, Joe Rosensteel, found that the Apple TV in his office showed a "slideshow of heavily compressed still images" instead of the usual aerial screensavers, although the Apple TV in his living room did not, as mentioned in 9To5Mac.

The difference between the two was the TV in his living room has the older version of the YouTube app, which is presumed to be from April 2nd. What YouTube shows on the updated version also depends on the last thing the user did with the TV.

If they were actively watching a video before pausing and going idle, the YouTube app with show a slideshow screensaver of the video's thumbnail art, which will continuously zoom in, safe to black, and repeat until the TV is used again.

On the other hand, the TV will still show YouTube displays even when the app is not used, only this time, it will display a "slideshow of generic still images taken from videos." Either way, YouTube overrides the screensaver Apple has built into its TVs.

Fortunately, there's a way to prevent this from happening. Based on the estimated time the YouTube screensaver comes on, it takes about five minutes. It means that users can change the settings of their Apple TV's screensaver to start before it triggers YouTube's.

To do so, head to the Settings app on the device, select General, and then Screen Saver. Under the setting, there are options for "Start After," and then select "2 minutes." This allows the TV to start its own screensaver before YouTube has the chance to.

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YouTube Screensavers

While YouTube makes poor choices as to what it displays when your TV goes idle, that doesn't mean that the streaming site doesn't have any usable screen savers. If anything, YouTube is where you can find one that suits your taste.

There are several screensavers from various channels that last for hours, even up to 12 hours for ambient displays. You can choose to play a crackling fireplace or the point of view of a drone as it passes by city buildings.

Of course, it does not work like the automatic screensavers that Apple TV has, where it starts to play the moment it hits the minute mark you choose. You will have to search for the specific videos you might like and play them like any other video. Without YouTube Premium, you might even encounter ads.

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