Unlock Your Kobo: A Simple Guide to Custom Screensavers

Kobo is the easiest e-reader family to put a custom screensaver on. Unlike Kindle, which needs the book-cover workaround, Kobo reads images straight from a folder on the device — no jailbreak, no conversion, no account. The whole job is one folder and two settings.

Kobo Screensaver Sizes by Model

Kobo does not scale screensavers gracefully. An image that is not the panel's native resolution gets stretched or letterboxed, so match these numbers exactly before you copy anything across.

Note that the Clara BW, Clara 2E and Clara HD all share the same 1072 × 1448 panel, so one image covers all three. The Nia is the odd one out at 758 × 1024 — an image sized for any other Kobo will look soft on it.

Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Your Kobo Screensaver

Adding custom screensavers to your Kobo device is a straightforward process that involves connecting it to a computer. Here’s how:

1. Prepare Your Image:
   • First, you'll need an image perfectly sized for your Kobo model. Our e-reader image resizer tool can help you with this. Ensure your image is in a common format like PNG or JPG.
   • For the best results, choose an image that looks good in grayscale, as e-ink screens don't display color. High-contrast images often work best.
2. Connect Your Kobo to Your Computer:
   • Use a USB cable to connect your Kobo e-reader to your computer.
   • On your Kobo screen, you should see a prompt asking if you want to connect to the computer. Tap "Connect".
3. Access Kobo Storage:
   • Once connected, your Kobo will appear as a removable drive on your computer (like a USB flash drive). Open it to view the files.
4. Navigate to the .kobo Folder:
   • Look for a folder named .kobo (note the dot at the beginning). This is usually a hidden folder.
   • If you can't see it, you may need to enable "Show hidden files" in your computer's file explorer settings.
     • Windows: Open File Explorer, go to "View" > "Options" > "Change folder and search options". In the "View" tab, select "Show hidden files, folders, and drives" and click "OK".
     • macOS: Open Finder, press Command + Shift + . (period) to toggle the visibility of hidden files.
5. Create the 'screensaver' Folder:
   • Inside the .kobo folder, create a new folder and name it exactly screensaver. The name is case-sensitive, so make sure it's all lowercase.
6. Copy Your Images:
   • Copy the custom screensaver image(s) you prepared earlier into this newly created screensaver folder.
   • You can add multiple images to this folder. Kobo will cycle through them if you have more than one.
7. Safely Eject Your Kobo:
   • Once you've copied the images, safely eject the Kobo drive from your computer to prevent data corruption.
8. Configure Kobo Settings:
   • On your Kobo device, go to Settings (usually by tapping the three lines or gear icon).
   • Navigate to Energy saving and privacy.
   • Ensure that the options "Show current read" and "Show book covers full screen" are both checked (enabled). This tells the Kobo to use images from the screensaver folder when it's asleep and not showing the current book cover.
9. Enjoy Your Custom Screensaver!
   • Put your Kobo to sleep. Your custom image (or one of your custom images, if you added several) should now appear as the screensaver!

Tips for the Best Kobo Screensaver Experience

• Image Dimensions: Always use images that match your Kobo model's screen resolution for the best clarity. Our tool helps with this!
• Grayscale is Key: Remember e-ink screens are grayscale. Preview your images in grayscale on your computer to see how they'll look.
• High Contrast: Images with strong contrast between light and dark areas tend to display better on e-ink screens.
• Keep it Simple: Very detailed images might not look as good as simpler designs due to the nature of e-ink.
• File Names: While not strictly necessary for all Kobo models, simple file names without special characters (e.g., `my_screensaver_1.png`) are a good practice.
• Troubleshooting: If your screensaver doesn't appear:
  • Double-check the folder name is exactly `screensaver` (all lowercase) inside `.kobo`.
  • Ensure your images are in a supported format (PNG is generally reliable).
  • Verify the Kobo settings under "Energy saving and privacy" are correct.
  • Try restarting your Kobo device.

That's it! With these simple steps, you can easily personalize your Kobo e-reader with custom screensavers that reflect your style. Enjoy your newly customized device!