---
title: "Can You Set a Video as Your Mac Wallpaper?"
description: "Not with macOS alone: System Settings takes photos and image files, not videos. MacWall Pro adds your own MP4, MOV and M4V files as private live wallpapers that stay on your Mac. Videos with H.264 or HEVC inside play best. GIFs and still images can't be added privately, so convert a GIF to MP4 first."
canonical: "https://macwall.app/faq/use-your-own-video-as-mac-wallpaper"
published: "2026-11-06"
updated: "2026-11-06"
keywords:
  - "use video as wallpaper mac"
  - "set video as wallpaper mac"
  - "mp4 wallpaper mac"
  - "custom live wallpaper mac"
---

# Can I use my own video as a wallpaper on Mac?

Not with macOS alone: System Settings takes photos and image files, not videos. MacWall Pro adds your own MP4, MOV and M4V files as private live wallpapers that stay on your Mac. Videos with H.264 or HEVC inside play best. GIFs and still images can't be added privately, so convert a GIF to MP4 first.

## Add a video in three steps

1. In MacWall, choose **Upload Wallpaper** (⌘N) and pick **Private**.
2. Drag in up to 10 videos at a time, or click **Choose Videos**.
3. Click **Add to Library**, then open a video and click **Set Wallpaper**.

Adding your own videos needs Pro. The free 24-hour trial covers the full catalog, Set Wallpaper and the Lock Screen, not imports.

## Export settings that play best

- **Codec**: H.264 or HEVC. ProRes, AV1 or VP9 inside is converted when you set the wallpaper, and it can look black until that finishes.
- **Resolution**: your display's own, or 3840×2160 for a 4K display. Anything larger costs decoding with no visible gain.
- **Frame rate**: 24 to 30 fps is plenty for ambient motion.
- **Loop**: pick footage whose first and last frames are close, so the loop point doesn't jump.

## Private or public

Videos added under **Private** stay on your Mac and only you see them. **Public** submits a video to the community catalog: every upload is reviewed before it appears, and public videos need at least 1080p and at most 300 MB.

## Go deeper

- [Import your own videos](https://macwall.app/docs/import-your-own-videos): The full import guide, with encoding settings and answers on file size and GIFs.
- [Video formats and codecs](https://macwall.app/learn/video-formats-and-codecs): MP4 and MOV containers, H.264 and HEVC inside, and why the codec decides the cost.
- [Wallpaper resolution and displays](https://macwall.app/learn/wallpaper-resolution-and-displays): Which resolution to export for each Mac display, and when 4K is worth it.

## More questions

- [How much CPU does MacWall use?](https://macwall.app/faq/macwall-cpu-use)
- [Does MacWall work with multiple monitors?](https://macwall.app/faq/live-wallpaper-on-multiple-monitors)
- [Is MacWall free?](https://macwall.app/faq/is-macwall-free)

---

Source: https://macwall.app/faq/use-your-own-video-as-mac-wallpaper