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As of my date stamp for my post, I have the same problem. Clearly a bug in the system. I'm tossing my post into the hat just to increase numbers for reporting bug.
Interesting point on the multiple accounts. I'll give that a try.
increasing numbers reporting here doesn't help: better feedback to Apple
 
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It is connected to multiple accounts. When my wife didn't use computer in the last few days, it was ok. Yesterday she was using it on her account, and the problem happened to me. Maybe the other account goes to sleep and this is the problem? Report if You have multiple accounts too!
I managed to exit to the login screen, logged into another account, found the process—which was started by the account that was active—and then killed it. So it may have something to do with multiple accounts, but the process is definitely started by the active account and not the other account in the background.
 
Santa brought my wife a M1 MBA for Christmas and screen saver activates while she is on it. It's updated to Big Sur 11.1.
 
Some inconclusive evidence that it's linked to having multiple accounts--

After I installed 11.2 Beta 1, this happened again. Then I removed the second user account, bringing me down to just one account.

Here's where my memory is a little fuzzy. I *think* that I saw the problem again after deleting the second user account but *before* rebooting. Since rebooting, I haven't seen it again. That's over a week of frequent use.
 
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Same bug here, MBA M1, first day of use, 50% of battery, multiple user accounts but only 1 active at the time (others were migrated in but haven't even been opened yet). Occurred while typing in Pages app in center of screen (so nothing to do with sleep time, touching hot corners, etc.) Pressing power key brings login screen back momentarily but it goes back to screen saver repeatedly... Eventually got back in after repeatedly trying the hold power to get login window and logging back in. System specs: MBAir M1, 2020, 8 cores, 16gb RAM, BigSur 11.1, Machine Firmware Version: 1002, Hardware Revision: 1 Cell Revision: 2735, System Firmware Version: 6723.61.3
 
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Hi, i have a problem like this:

Screensaver is turning on on my M1 air randomly, and to turn it off I must close the lid and open it again. Screensaver is disabled in settings. Anyone with similar problem?

Thanks!
Hi, Ditto...

Screensaver set to never in all accounts with no hot corners. Random appearance of screensaver which is unresponsive to keyboard or trackpad clicks.

Unlike other posts here M1 Mac Mini so opening and closing lid not an option. Have been resorting to restarts via power button.

QUITE BY ACCIDENT THIS AM DISCOVERED THAT A LIGHT DEPRESS OF THE POWER BUTTON BRINGS BACK THE WORKING DESKTOP. I HAVE MANAGED TO REPRODUCE THIS!

I've reported to apple and pasted this thread and my own video to them via Feedback Assistant.

#m1macmini #randomscreensaver
 
Same issue here on my girlfriends M1 air and my M1 pro.

Both on 11.0.1. Both clean installs. A workaround seems to be to disable fast user switching, but that has its own drawbacks

System settings -> Users -> Login Options -> Uncheck "Show fast user switching menu as..."

You can turn the screen saver off by:

Pressing Escape / Touch ID until you have your password prompt
Click the back arrow to go back to the user selection screen
Click on another user
Enter an incorrect password
Log back in as yourself

I hope they fix this soon, its so annoying.
 
Wow, I'm glad I didn't find this thread before splurging on this new M1 MBA. (16G RAM, 8-core, 512 GB). So far, so good, no such problem. Only one account here (you folks are referring to user/Apple ID accounts registered on the machine, right?).
 
I can see the mouse moving, but no effect. Screensaver is still on. Touching a key does nothing.
Brand new MacMini M1, 2nd day using it, Big Sur macOS 11.1 (20C69) with screensaver and screen sleep set to 20 mins. I was actively editing some Calendar entries (in Calendar.app) when all of a sudden the same exact thing happened (screensaver on, user locked out). I ended up using Remote Access from my MBP to get in and log out the user on the Mini. The MacMini then jumped to the login screen and it's working fine again now. Very weird.
 
Another user here with the same issue on MBA M1.
Updated on 11.1 still occurring.
Solution for me is to press the Touch ID, click on cancel, then login to your account. This has been the quickest way for me.
Happened when I was actively using the laptop also.
Not hot corners and no screensaver.
2 accounts on the Mac as well.
I hope this is fixed soon. This little issue isn't bad enough to return my laptop.
The laptop works beautifully besides this small bug.
 
My video on 9to5mac main page :) maybe apple will fix this
 

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This is happening to me as well on my M1 mini, but I have a simple workaround.

When the screensaver activates:

Press Option + Command + Eject

You will now see the password prompt and can unlock the computer
 
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Have a case open with Apple, was on the phone with them several times. They collected logs. So form a fresh reboot, my experience is it happens only with multiple accounts and when at least two accounts are logged on. The last tech call with Apple sent me this term server command to run. Once I ran this I hanse't experienced it again. Although I haven't spent a lot of time trying to:

sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.screensaver loginWindowIdleTime 0

And MacRumors published an article today:
www.macrumors.com

Some M1 Macs Affected By Fast User Switching Screensaver Bug

A growing number of user reports online suggest some of Apple's M1 Mac models are susceptible to a Fast User Switching bug that spontaneously...
www.macrumors.com
www.macrumors.com
 
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Have a case open with Apple, was on the phone with them several times. They collected logs. So form a fresh reboot, my experience is it happens only with multiple accounts and when at least two accounts are logged on. The last tech call with Apple sent me this term server command to run. Once I ran this I hanse't experienced it again. Although I haven't spent a lot of time trying to:

sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.screensaver loginWindowIdleTime 0

And MacRumors published an article today:
www.macrumors.com

Some M1 Macs Affected By Fast User Switching Screensaver Bug

A growing number of user reports online suggest some of Apple's M1 Mac models are susceptible to a Fast User Switching bug that spontaneously...
www.macrumors.com
www.macrumors.com
Any updates on this? Did it occur again?
 
Any updates on this? Did it occur again?
Nope. And I tried. Rebooting logging in to multiple accounts. I have all accounts set to 5 minute screen savers to help speed up the testing. So all good after that terminal command.
 
Same issue here, M1 MBA with two users and fast user switching.
Sent Feedback via Feedback Tool and referenced this thread here.

Pressing Escape and then pressing the TouchID button usually brings me back to my Desktop.

Hopefully that's fixed in 11.2...
 
Hi, i have a problem like this:

Screensaver is turning on on my M1 air randomly, and to turn it off I must close the lid and open it again. Screensaver is disabled in settings. Anyone with similar problem?

Thanks!
Solution (of sorts) for the Mini: Ctrl+Cmd+Q to get to the lock screen, login as a different user, and then switch back. My wife just encountered this problem. Returning to the lock screen and then going back into her account just brought up the screen saver again. So I logged in instead, and then switched over to her account. It is working normally now.
 
Still happening in Big Sur 11.4 on my M1 Mac Mini. Three times today already! No keyboard combo gets me out of it because keyboard is like its dead, plugging in another USB keyboard doesn't work either, it's a Mini so I can't close the lid or use touch ID workarounds, all I can do is force shut-down and reboot. And I lose whatever I was working on when the (supposedly disabled) screensaver kicked in! Which is unacceptable as this is my work computer!

I just found the hint about turning off "fast user switching" and will see if it happens again.
 
Still happening in Big Sur 11.4 on my M1 Mac Mini. Three times today already! No keyboard combo gets me out of it because keyboard is like its dead, plugging in another USB keyboard doesn't work either, it's a Mini so I can't close the lid or use touch ID workarounds, all I can do is force shut-down and reboot. And I lose whatever I was working on when the (supposedly disabled) screensaver kicked in! Which is unacceptable as this is my work computer!

I just found the hint about turning off "fast user switching" and will see if it happens again.
I was having this issue on my MacBook Air base model and posted about it here a while back. I returned it and exchanged it. I haven't had any issues with the screen saver since and I have fast user switching turned on.
 
Yes, all accounts are set to not use the screensaver. I've been using the computer for 2 months without experiencing this issue, suddenly it happened once a few days ago and then three times yesterday. This is clearly a software bug in Big Sur, not a hardware issue, and has been reported on Intel Macs running Big Sur too, so returning and exchanging the computer won't solve it.

One response elsewhere in these forums from a screensaver developer said it was a totally random problem with no clear cause that cropped up in Big Sur's beta that might be caused by a background process stealing focus, possibly when it crashes, and "fast user switching" just seems to do this more often. Which is why turning it off seems to fix it (though that may simply make it happen far less often, hard to say unless/until it happens again with that turned off). I don't need fast user switching anyway, so I don't mind turning it off.
 
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