01

Why This Happens

Understanding the root cause helps you fix it faster. Here are the most common causes:

🔄

macOS Update Changed Location

Starting in macOS Sonoma, Apple moved screensaver settings and renamed 'Aerial' to categories like 'Landscape' and 'Cityscape'.

🗂️

Un-downloaded Content

New installs sometimes only show preview thumbnails; the full 2-4 GB video library must be fetched manually.

🖥️

Hardware Too Old

2013 and earlier Macs can't decode 4K HDR videos required for the modern Aerial experience.

⚙️

Beta macOS Bug

Tahoa/Sequoia betas periodically drop multi-monitor or external-display screensaver support.

⚡ Instant Check

One-Click Way to See if Aerial Is Already There

macOS 14 Sonoma and later bundle Aerial under new names. A 30-second trip into System Settings reveals all.

📁 Apple menu → System Settings → Screen Saver → Look for 'Landscape', 'Cityscape', 'Earth', or 'Underwater' collections → Click a thumbnail—macOS downloads the full clip instantly → Hit 'Preview' to watch; enable 'Show as wallpaper' for the full fusion lock-screen effect

If you see those four categories, you're done—Aerial is built in.

02

Step-by-Step Solutions

1
✓ Easy

Restore Aerial on macOS Sonoma (14) or Later

Apple rebranded Aerial videos but ships every new Mac with them—just hidden until you click.

  • 1 Update to the latest macOS point release ( → About This Mac → More Info → Update Now)
  • 2 Open System Settings → Screen Saver
  • 3 Select 'Landscape' (Himalayas, Hawaii), 'Cityscape' (NY, SF), 'Earth' (ISS), or 'Underwater' (ocean)
  • 4 Wait for the 2-4 GB automatic download (progress bar under thumbnail)
  • 5 Optional: enable 'Show as Wallpaper' so the clip becomes your desktop background when you log in
  • 6 Set 'Start after' to your preferred idle time and tick 'Show with clock' if you want a big time overlay
💡

Pro Tips

⏱️ Download happens once; thereafter clips play offline.
🔋 Using the wallpaper fusion mode uses ~5 % more battery on laptops.

⚠️ Warning: Don't interrupt the first download—corrupted files force a full re-download.

Success Rate:
95%
2
✓ Easy

Get Aerial Back on macOS Ventura (13) & Monterey (12)

These versions still house the classic 'Aerial' checkbox but you may need to re-enable it.

  • 1  → System Preferences → Desktop & Screen Saver → Screen Saver
  • 2 Scroll left panel to 'Aerial' (purple icon) and highlight it
  • 3 Click 'Screen Saver Options…' and ensure all five continents are ticked
  • 4 If the list is empty: open Terminal and run the command below to trigger Apple's catalog download
  • 5 Test with 'Preview'—clips should autoplay in 4K HDR if your display supports it
💻 Force download of missing Aerial clips
> /System/Library/CoreServices/NotificationCenter.app/Contents/MacOS/NotificationCenter --force-catalog-update
💡

Pro Tips

🌐 VPN users: switch to your home region first; Apple filters clips by locale.
Success Rate:
90%
3
◐ Medium

Install the Free 'Aerial' Open-Source Edition (Any macOS 10.12+)

If Apple removed the official saver or you want 150+ extra videos (space, underwater, cities), the community Aerial app is the closest replica.

  • 1 Visit [https://aerialscreensaver.github.io](https://aerialscreensaver.github.io) and download 'Aerial.saver.zip'
  • 2 Double-click Aerial.saver → 'Install for this user' (avoid 'All users' on managed Macs)
  • 3 Open System Settings → Screen Saver → 'Aerial Companion' now appears
  • 4 Inside Companion choose 'Videos' tab → tick 'Download in 4K HDR' → 'Apply'
  • 5 Let the 3 GB download finish; pick your favourites and set shuffle frequency
💻 Quick Terminal install via Homebrew (no GUI)
> brew install --cask aerial
💡

Pro Tips

🔒 Code-signed & notarized by the developers—Gatekeeper will not block it.
🖥️ Supports multi-monitor and Retina; automatically pauses during full-screen apps.

⚠️ Warning: Beta macOS releases (Tahoa/Sequoia) sometimes break multi-monitor mode—stick to one display until Apple patches.

Success Rate:
88%
4
✓ Easy

Downgrade to macOS Big Sur (11) for the Original Aerial UI

Big Sur still shows the un-split 'Aerial' entry and works on most 2014+ Macs.

  • 1 Back up data with Time Machine
  • 2 Create a bootable Big Sur installer USB ([Apple guide](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help))
  • 3 Restart with Option key, pick USB, erase disk and install Big Sur
  • 4 After setup, System Preferences → Desktop & Screen Saver → 'Aerial' appears instantly
  • 5 Turn on 'Show with clock' and set hot-corners for quick activation
💡

Pro Tips

⚠️ Security updates end in 2024—use offline or in a VM for safety.
Success Rate:
80%
5
⚠ Advanced

Extract Aerial Videos Manually for Older or Non-Apple Systems

Power users can grab the raw .mov files and feed them to any video-capable saver.

  • 1 On a Mac that has the clips, open Terminal
  • 2 Run the command below to reveal Apple’s hidden cache folder
  • 3 Copy desired .mov files to an external drive
  • 4 Install any video screensaver (e.g., SaveHollywood) and point it to the folder
💻 Open Aerial cache directory
> open ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.screensaver.desktop/
💡

Pro Tips

💾 Files are 200-400 MB each—bring a large USB stick.

⚠️ Warning: Clips are copyrighted; keep copies private.

Success Rate:
70%
6
✓ Easy

Use tvOS Aerial Videos on Mac via Apple TV App

The TV app for Mac bundles the same 4K HDR videos and can act as a pseudo-screensaver.

  • 1 Open Apple TV app → Library → search 'Aerial'
  • 2 Add any 'Aerial' playlist to 'Watch Next'
  • 3 Leave cursor idle; macOS will dim then play the playlist in full-screen
  • 4 Return by moving mouse—no password prompt (security off)
💡

Pro Tips

🍿 Loop one video for a chill ambience background while you work.
Success Rate:
65%
7
◐ Medium

Create Your Own Aerial-Style Saver with Drone Footage

If Apple's clips feel stale, build a personalised 4K saver in minutes.

  • 1 Gather royalty-free 4K drone clips (Pixabay, Pexels, your own DJI footage)
  • 2 Open Photos → File → New → Slideshow → 'Export as Screensaver'
  • 3 Name it 'My Aerial' and choose 10-15 clips
  • 4 In System Settings pick your new saver, set shuffle every 30 min
💡

Pro Tips

🎬 Keep clips under 45 s and < 300 MB to avoid stutter on older GPUs.
Success Rate:
100%
03

Quick Diagnosis Flowchart

Do you see Landscape/Cityscape in System Settings → Screen Saver?
Yes → You're on Sonoma+ and Aerial is already there
No → Check macOS version in  → About This Mac
Version 12-13 → Look for 'Aerial' in Desktop & Screen Saver pref
Found it? Enjoy!
Still missing → Install open-source Aerial app (Solution 3)
Done—stunning aerials restored!
04

Quick Reference Summary

🎯
#1 Fix
Solution 1 (Sonoma) or Solution 3 (open-source Aerial) for any macOS
⏱️
4 min
Average Fix Time
💻
macOS 10.12 Sierra → macOS 14 Sonoma
Compatible
🔧
7
Total Solutions
🛡️

Prevention Tips

🔄 Always backup ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.screensaver.desktop/ before major upgrades.
🌐 Keep Aerial Companion auto-update enabled so new city clips appear automatically.
🔋 On laptops, set screensaver to start ≥ 10 min to preserve battery yet still enjoy the show.
05

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Apple delete Aerial in macOS Sonoma?

▼

No—they renamed and reorganised it. Look under System Settings → Screen Saver → 'Landscape', 'Cityscape', 'Earth', or 'Underwater'. The same 4K HDR videos are there.

Can I get Aerial on macOS Catalina or earlier?

▼

Officially only up to Big Sur. On Catalina/Mojave install the free open-source 'Aerial' screensaver (Solution 3) which bundles every Apple clip plus community extras.

Why does the screensaver show a black screen on my external monitor?

▼

Beta macOS releases (Tahoa/Sequoia) have a known multi-monitor bug. Use one display or update to the newest public build where Apple has fixed it.

How much disk space do the full Aerial videos need?

▼

macOS downloads about 2 GB for the default set; enabling all categories or the open-source pack can reach 4-6 GB. Store on external drive if SSD space is tight.

Is the open-source Aerial app safe?

▼

Yes—it's MIT-licensed, code-signed, and notarized. Source is on GitHub for public audit and updates automatically through Apple's standard Sparkle framework.

06

Quick Fix Checklist

Use this checklist to systematically troubleshoot:

Progress 0 / 7 completed

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Last Updated: Dec 13, 2025

Applies to: macOS 10.12 Sierra, macOS 10.13 High Sierra, macOS 10.14 Mojave, macOS 10.15 Catalina, macOS 11 Big Sur, macOS 12 Monterey, macOS 13 Ventura, macOS 14 Sonoma, macOS 15 Sequoia beta

Displays aerial screensaver macOS Sonoma macOS compatibility