How to set a live wallpaper on Mac
To set a live wallpaper on Mac, open System Settings > Wallpaper and choose one of Apple's built-in dynamic or aerial wallpapers; to use your own video loop, install a free helper app, add the MP4 file, and set it as your desktop background.
Recent versions of macOS ship with animated aerial and dynamic wallpapers built in, set from System Settings. To use a custom video loop you downloaded, you'll need a small helper app, since macOS doesn't let you set an arbitrary video file as a wallpaper directly. Both paths are covered below.
Steps
- 1
Open Wallpaper settings
Click the Apple menu > System Settings, then select Wallpaper in the sidebar.
- 2
Pick a built-in dynamic wallpaper
Under Dynamic Wallpapers or Aerial, choose an animated background. These move automatically and are the simplest option with no extra software.
- 3
Or add your own loop with a helper app
To use a downloaded MP4 loop, install a free live-wallpaper app for Mac, click Add, and select the video file you saved from LWP.gg.
- 4
Apply it
Set the chosen wallpaper. If you used a helper app, pick which display it animates on, and the loop plays as your desktop background.
Questions answered.
Does macOS support live wallpapers?
Yes, partially. macOS includes built-in animated dynamic and aerial wallpapers in System Settings > Wallpaper. To set your own custom video loop, you need a free third-party live-wallpaper app.
How do I set a video as my Mac wallpaper?
macOS can't set an arbitrary video file as a wallpaper on its own. Install a free live-wallpaper helper app, add your downloaded MP4 or WebM loop, and apply it to your desktop.
Are LWP.gg wallpapers free for Mac?
Yes. Every wallpaper on LWP.gg is free to download in HD, 2K, and 4K — sized for MacBook and desktop displays, with no account, watermark, or paywall.
Free live & static wallpapers, no account.
Every wallpaper on LWP.gg is free to download in HD and 4K — no watermark, no signup, no paywall.