Tired of your boring screensaver? Google’s Featured Photos now available on Mac

By Anthony Thurston November 29, 2016

featured photos screensaver now available mac users untitled

Previously only available on Pixel, Chromecast, and Google Fiber devices, Google’s Featured Photo Screensaver is coming to Mac devices. It pulls directly from some of Google’s highest-rated photos. It differs slightly from the Wallpaper app that Google launched for Android devices. The Featured Photo screensaver only pulls from Google+ photos, whereas Wallpaper also pulls from images on Google Earth.

Shots must be public so you will see a constant rotation of photos. In addition, the program only pulls high-resolution images that have a landscape orientation. Images also cannot feature people, for privacy reasons, text or watermarks.

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With this criteria, users can expect gorgeous landscapes and cityscapes. The screensaver will also display the time and the Google+ account associated with the photo in the corner of the screen. This should make it easier to track down the photographer if you want to see more of their work.

The screensaver will also feature different photos on each monitor you have running. This means you can turn your monitor bank into your own little office art gallery.

If you would like the chance to have your work featured on the screensaver, the first step is to share your photos publicly and then garner a lot of +1s. If you are looking for a boost, you can join the Google+ Create program to have your photos featured to a wide number of people around the world.

Installing the free screensaver is simple. Users just download the DMG file from Google, select the .saver file inside, and then select “Google Featured” within the desktops and screensaver section of the system preferences. Be sure to also allow for automatic updates.

This is not the first time Google has joined forces with iOS, but there are very few specifically for Mac. The addition of the screensaver not only establishes Google’s presence but also highlights their social network.

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Anthony Thurston

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Anthony is an internationally published photographer based in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Specializing primarily in…

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