FAQ

Everything people ask about FrameSaver.

Answers to the questions people ask about FrameSaver: whether it is free, which TVs it works on, how to sign in without typing, where the photos come from, and what happens to your data.

The basics

Is FrameSaver free?
Yes. FrameSaver is free to use, with no subscription and no Art Store fee. The photos come from public-domain and Creative Commons archives, and attribution is shown on screen automatically.
Which TVs does FrameSaver work on?
Any TV with a web browser: Samsung Frame TV and other Samsung Tizen TVs, LG webOS TVs, Google TV, Fire TV with the Silk browser, plus any laptop, desktop, or phone. If your TV can open framesaver.app, it works.
Do I need to install an app?
No. FrameSaver runs in the browser your TV already has. Open framesaver.app, sign in, and start the screensaver. There is nothing to download from the Samsung or LG app stores.
How do I sign in on a TV without typing?
Open framesaver.app on the TV and a QR code appears. Scan it with your phone, enter your email, and type the 6-digit code from your email on the phone. The TV signs in by itself and goes to your dashboard.
Will a photo screensaver cause burn-in on my TV?
Rotating full-screen photographs are far less likely to cause image retention than static logos, bars, or menus. On an OLED panel, keep the photo duration short and leave the pixel-refresh settings on. Our LG OLED guide covers the exact settings.
Where do the photos come from?
Curated open-access collections: Smithsonian Open Access, Wikimedia Commons featured pictures, NASA and the ESO, Hubble, and Webb observatories, the National Park Service, and Creative Commons photography through Openverse. Every photo is reviewed before it appears in a category.
Can I use my own photos?
Yes. Upload up to 20 photos per account into folders, then pick them as a screensaver source alongside the curated categories.
Does FrameSaver replace Samsung Art Mode?
No, it runs alongside it. Art Mode is the Frame TV built-in low-power display for the Art Store and your own uploads. FrameSaver runs in the TV browser while the TV is on, with no subscription. Many people use Art Mode for still art and FrameSaver for rotating photography.

Getting started

How do I start the screensaver?
Open framesaver.app on the screen you want to use, sign in with your email, and you land on the dashboard. Pick a photo category, then press Start Screensaver. On a TV, the dashboard is built for the remote: arrow keys move between tiles and Enter selects.
Do I need an account?
Yes, but only an email address. There is no password. Each time you sign in you get a 6-digit code by email. The account is what saves your settings, your favourites, and your own photos across every screen you use.
Does FrameSaver need an internet connection?
Yes. The photos stream from the source archives and from your account as the screensaver plays, so the TV or computer needs to stay online. There is no offline mode.
Can I change how long each photo shows?
Yes. The Customize section on the dashboard sets the time per photo, the transition style, and whether photos are shown inside a frame or full-bleed. Settings are saved to your account, so a change made on your phone applies the next time the TV refreshes.
Can I start on a specific photo?
Yes. Each category tile on the dashboard has a gear icon that opens a gallery of every approved photo in that category. Pick one to pin it, and the screensaver opens on that photo before rotating through the rest.
How do I make it full screen on a TV?
Press Start Screensaver and the player asks the browser for full screen. Most Samsung and LG browsers grant it. If your TV browser keeps its address bar, look for a full-screen option in the browser menu; on some sets it is a button on the remote overlay.

TVs and devices

Does it work on a Samsung Frame TV?
Yes. The Frame TV is the screen FrameSaver was built for. Open the Internet app on the TV, go to framesaver.app, scan the QR code with your phone, and the TV signs in. It runs in TV mode alongside Art Mode, which stays available for the Art Store and your own uploads.
Does it work on an LG TV?
Yes, on webOS and older NetCast models. LG TV browsers are several years behind desktop browsers, so FrameSaver serves them a lightweight player that shows a short pairing code instead of a QR code. Enter the code on your phone and the TV signs in. See the LG smart TV guide for the settings that keep the TV awake.
What about Google TV, Fire TV, Roku, or Apple TV?
Google TV and Android TV sets with a web browser work, as does Fire TV through the Silk browser. Roku and Apple TV do not ship a web browser, so FrameSaver cannot run on them directly; a laptop or a small streaming stick with a browser connected over HDMI is the workaround.
Does it work on a laptop, desktop, or tablet?
Yes. Any modern browser on a Mac, Windows PC, Chromebook, iPad, or phone runs the full app. The same account and settings follow you between screens.
Will it stop my TV from turning off?
FrameSaver asks the browser to keep the screen awake while the screensaver plays, and on older TV browsers it plays a silent background video so the page counts as active playback. That stops the browser from dimming or pausing. It cannot override the TV timers, so turn off Auto Power Off in the TV settings if you want it to run all evening. The Samsung and LG guides list the exact settings.
Does running a screensaver use a lot of electricity?
A TV showing photos draws roughly what it draws showing anything else at the same brightness. Lowering brightness and using a sleep timer for overnight makes the biggest difference. There is a separate guide on Frame TV power use.

Photos and sources

Which categories are there?
Landscapes, mountains, oceans, space, cities, architecture, animals, americana, black and white, seasonal, and minimal. A category only appears on the dashboard once it has reviewed photos in it, so the list can grow over time.
Why is a category missing from my dashboard?
Every photo is reviewed by a person before it is shown, and a category is hidden until it has approved photos. It appears automatically as soon as the first photo in it is approved.
How are the photos chosen?
Candidates come from open-access archives with a commercial-friendly licence and a minimum size of 1920 pixels wide. An operator then approves or rejects each one by hand for quality and suitability as wall art. Rejected photos never appear.
Is attribution required for the photos?
Public-domain photos need none. Creative Commons photos require credit, and FrameSaver shows the creator, source, and licence on screen for the first fifteen seconds of every photo, then fades it out. You do not have to do anything.
Can I download or reuse the photos?
FrameSaver does not offer downloads. The attribution overlay names the source, and each source archive has its own terms for reuse. Public-domain works can be used freely; Creative Commons works need the credit and, for some licences, the same licence on derivative work.
Is there a limit on my own photos?
Twenty photos per account across all folders, stored at the size you upload. Uploads sit alongside the curated categories on the dashboard and can be chosen as the screensaver source.

Account, cost, and privacy

Is there a paid plan?
No. FrameSaver is free with no subscription and no ads. The curated library, your own uploads, and every setting are included.
What data does FrameSaver collect?
Your email address, your settings and favourites, any photos you upload, and basic usage analytics such as which pages are visited and whether a TV pairing succeeded. Nothing is sold. The privacy policy has the full list and the third-party services involved.
How do I delete my account or my photos?
Photos can be deleted from their folder on the dashboard at any time. To delete the whole account, email ericfriedman@gmail.com from the address you signed up with and it will be removed along with your uploads and settings.
Who makes FrameSaver?
FrameSaver is built by one person, and the About page explains why: open-access archives hold extraordinary photography that deserves a wall, not a search results page.

Something not covered? The guides go deeper on setup and troubleshooting for specific TVs.

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