# XScreenSaver — user reviews > 98 indexed App Store user reviews of XScreenSaver by Jamie Zawinski, rated 4.86/5 from 104 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xscreensaver/id539014593/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xscreensaver/id539014593.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 94 · 4★ 6 · 3★ 1 · 2★ 1 · 1★ 1 ## What do users think of XScreenSaver? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - ✨ No ads or data collection - 🎨 Extensive variety of screensavers - 📱 Works seamlessly across multiple platforms (iOS, Mac, iPad) - 🆓 Completely free application - 🕰️ Nostalgic and retro aesthetic appeal - 🎯 Does exactly what it's supposed to do - 🖥️ Beautiful graphics on high-resolution screens - ⚙️ Customizable parameters for screensavers - 🎓 Educational value about computer science history - 🔧 Well-maintained and actively supported **Cons** - 🐛 Occasional crashes with certain screensavers - 🎯 Difficult to tap small exit button on larger devices - 🔋 High battery consumption on some devices - ⚠️ Photo library screensaver crashes on iOS 13 - 🎪 Limited practical use on iOS devices - 🔐 Security concern with GLText revealing password information **Commonly reported bugs** - Photo library screensaver crashes on iOS 13 - GLText reveals password when system info is selected - Framebuffer loading failures requiring app restart - Crashes on certain devices or configurations - Difficult UI for exiting screensavers on larger phones **Most requested features** - Favorites or bookmarking system to save preferred screensavers - Hide or exclude unwanted screensavers from rotation - Ability to select specific channels in XAnalogTV screensaver - Widget support for iOS standby mode - Prevent auto-lock feature to keep screen on - Apple TV version - Windows port of the application - Larger hit areas for corner icons - Faster scrubbing through screensavers - Donate button for supporting development - Screensavers featuring pentagons ## Newest reviews (15 of 98) ### 5/5 — Amazing. *2023-01-17, version 6.06* This is arguably the best app on the app store. It also comes with most Linux systems. My fav is definitely the 3d pipes(which I use on my windows machine(I ported the screensaver from xp 2 11)) The only thing that could make it my fav app in the world is if the developers ported the app 2 windows. I am sure lots of other people will love the windows version! Thank you for reading this far. plz, developers, plz, port this app 2 windows!! Bye📎 ps: I'm only 11 years old and I can say kids love screensaver my little brother likes to turn on the DVD player and stare at the screensaver until it hits the corner =) ### 5/5 — Amazing and beautiful and FREE!!! *2022-12-13, version 6.06* It’s astonishing that something so beautiful and fun is totally free and won’t shove ads in your face or try to follow you around like a snitch. This outstanding collection of screensavers from the good ol’ days of X11 is my new favorite app. I’m going to install the macOS version, too. ### 5/5 — I’ve loved these on… *2022-03-22* …desktops, laptops (now tablets, phones) operating systems, for, literally, decades. Also, jobs, though I really shouldn’t have put those on the computers where I last worked (I retired from there, so they can’t get me now). AND, I’m not a big Microsoft fan either. I had to force myself to use them at work. Wonderful stuff, belongs in every computer everywhere. Except one with windows. ### 5/5 — Peak of Nostalgia *2021-10-17, version 6.02* I remember going on my Windows 7 computer and checking out the screensavers, and this 90s-00s aesthetic art style for screen savers is amazing, considering there's so many! It almost made me want to cry I see a genuine app like this, Thank you! ### 5/5 — My favorite windows screensaver *2021-03-23, version 5.45* Windows is awesome and I really like screensavers so this is perfect ### 5/5 — Fantastic *2020-12-25, version 5.45* A lot of fun to use ### 5/5 — Cool stuff *2020-07-13, version 5.44* This is great thanks :) ### 5/5 — I adore this program *2020-06-10, version 5.44* There aren’t an overwhelming amount of reminders that coding is an art form, and usually when it’s good, it’s footprint is very small. Thanks for reissuing the programs that made me sit in awe of idle Linux servers I worked on back when I was a wee nerd.. ### 5/5 — Nice collection *2020-05-12, version 5.44* Would like an Apple TV version. Also, it’s hard to accurately tap the corner icons while screen savers are running. Can you increase the hit areas? Awesome work! So glad you are continuing to maintain this. ### 5/5 — A blast *2020-04-01, version 5.44* Been a user on MacOS for years- the iOS app is just as great! ### 5/5 — This is awesome *2019-06-18, version 5.41* I can remember being completely mesmerized by these screensavers back in my early days of playing around with Linux. Seeing them run perfect on a device I can slid into my pocket is really cool. I really do appreciate the work that was put into getting these onto the iPhone. There is so much nostalgia in this package, and my kids really enjoy flipped through them. Thank you and please keep up the awesome work! ### 4/5 — Needs favorites option *2019-04-20, version 5.41* I love this app, the designs are super cool. Wish it had the option to favorite some, as there are a lot of them ### 5/5 — Wow *2019-04-05, version 5.41* Can you add prevent auto lock please ### 5/5 — owns *2018-12-28* This app owns. I appreciate the creator putting this on iOS and for his continued maintenance of the project. ### 5/5 — Awesome port! *2018-11-13, version 5.40* Thank you for this awesome app! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — iOS 13 Update suggestion *2019-11-25, version 5.43* Every time I start a screensaver with the photo library with iOS 13 on it, it starts to crash. Please fix it. ### 1/5 — Seriously? *2014-06-04, version 5.27* What is the point of this app? All you do is look at a screen saver and nothing else. If your thinking of downloading this, DONT! ### 1/5 — MAJOR SECURITY ISSUE FOUND!! *2014-04-01, version 5.23* GLText reveals most of password when system info is selected rather than date/time option. Be advised! ### 1/5 — Cool but useless *2013-10-16, version 5.22* There are lots of awesome screensavers, but they're useless because there's no way of setting them as your screensaver. I don't get what this app is for on iPhone. ### 1/5 — Not 4 iPad *2013-09-04, version 5.22* No way to make emerge on iPad except by running Demo. Uninstalling. Waste of time. Does work well on Mint laptop. ### 1/5 — Crashes *2013-08-10, version 5.22* Deleting... Just crashes. ### 3/5 — Great Screensavers, But UI Needs Work *2019-05-12, version 5.41* I’m a huge fan of xscreensaver, but the interface of the app overall is quite lacking. My biggest gripe is that, to exit a demo, you have to tap the screen once to show the exit button, and then tap a very tiny x button in the top left of the screen. This guarantees you have to move your hand if you have a larger phone, and it’s also very hard to actually tap the button on the first try. ### 4/5 — This is one of my favorites *2025-04-30* Yes, I come from the age of screen burn in, so old school screensavers are a favorite. I also come from a time when there was nothing but analog TV signals, so the one I use most is XAnalogTV. I just wish it had a control where you could select which of the 12 different channels would be displayed as it cycles through the channels. ### 4/5 — Old and New Open Source Screensavers You Know and Love *2020-11-25, version 5.44* These are so fun to go through. I wish I could ♥️ my favorites, and scrub through the different screensavers a little bit faster. I also wish it had the option to keep the screen on (disable auto-sleep) How else am I supposed to save my screen? 😃 ### 4/5 — So nostalgic just what I wanted *2020-04-29, version 5.44* I really like having this on the side of my iPad while writing in my journals. Only problem is there’s no way to save the ones you like, you have to commit them to memory or write them down somewhere. At least there’s a slider to get to any letter faster. Also the fact that I don’t like most of them would have made it nice if there was a hide feature. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — perfect *2026-05-03, version 6.15* No ads, no data collection, it does exactly what it is supposed to do. Reminds me of when computers were fun. ### 5/5 — awesome *2024-12-14, version 6.09* i love the variety, this is perfect for my ipad when its on my stand charging not doing anything. i like the skull loop one. this app is weirdly underrated because theres no other app like this ### 5/5 — Very fun. What if widget for ios standby mode? *2024-11-19, version 6.09* I have had this on my Mac for ages now. Put this on my iPhone and was messing with it. But what if widget for iOS’ standby mode when plugged in and locked on side? What if we lived on the moon? Where is Waldo? ### 5/5 — This is by far one of the best apps of 2024 PERIOD! *2024-06-04, version 6.07* I have to point out that I use my iPad Pro and my Macbook Pro M2 for Music Production, Song Writing, Sound Productions, Recording... Even though its an amazing job, its still a job, and work needs to be done to meet standards and deadlines. Most music apps/software/programs are becoming more and more user friuendly... The GUIs are full of beautiful eye candy and resemble analog equipment. Because software is much cheaper than hardware, it appeals to 'Starving Artist' and musicians. And since the early stages of Windows, Linux and Mac musicians have migrated to the world of PC's! So I have been a part of the ever growing screen savers since 1995, and this brings back memories, and been an inspiration! The amount of content and the control you have over these amazing screen savers is well worth over $100 ... I feel like this app is too good to be true! i can only hope that this app is able to be on the app store for years and years! Thank you so much for this AMAZING APP! Also thank you for allowing it to be used on iPad as well as Macbook! ### 5/5 — xscreensaver my beloved *2024-05-24, version 6.07* When I was growing up, screensavers were falling out of fashion. The first, and last, screensaver I saw was Windows 7's Bubbles. The screensaver options in Windows nowadays have not expanded and are uninteresting. And then I started playing with Linux. Screensavers are awesome. They are an expression of art, mathematics and computer science. What used to be high-end demos that were the whole focus of a floppy disc on systems like the C64, we now effortlessly run when we aren't looking at our screen. What a marker of human progression. A gallery of screensavers for iOS could easily replace any Netflix subscription or YouTube brainrot. I'm pocketing this in my list of neat iOS apps along with iperf and Fish Farm. ### 5/5 — Great for running in the background *2024-04-15, version 6.07* I’m old and I miss the soothing mindlessness of screensavers. This app is a treasure. I only wish it had a favorites option or hide the ones you don’t like. ### 5/5 — Looks brilliant on the high resolution screen of an iPad *2024-03-20, version 6.07* It’s nostalgic looking at some of these when they were running on a Solaris box, but a modern retina screen really makes some of these pop. ### 5/5 — oh my god *2024-01-14, version 6.07* this needs to get app of the year someday. ### 5/5 — Screensavers involving pentagons *2024-01-11, version 6.07* Can I see some screensavers involving pentagons ### 5/5 — Acknowledgements *2023-06-07, version 6.06* I would like to express my profound gratitude to Jamie Zawinski for developing XScreenSaver. Your commitment to building an open-source screensaver software that is both reliable and aesthetically pleasing is remarkable. Your passion and dedication to the development of this useful and versatile software is inspiring. Thank you for all the hard work you've put into this project. Cordially yours, José {with the help of OpenAI, bits but not all} --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-19.*