---
title: "MacWall: Live 4K wallpapers for your Mac, without the subscription."
description: "MacWall is a native macOS app for 4K live video wallpapers, with hardware-decoded playback, automatic pausing, live Lock Screen on macOS 26 (Tahoe)+, and a one-time $7.99 license."
canonical: "https://macwall.app/"
updated: "2026-08-27"
keywords:
  - "live wallpaper mac"
  - "mac video wallpaper app"
  - "macos live wallpaper"
  - "animated wallpaper mac"
---

# MacWall: live wallpapers for Mac

MacWall is a native macOS app for 4K live video wallpapers, with hardware-decoded playback, automatic pausing, live Lock Screen on macOS 26 (Tahoe)+, and a one-time $7.99 license.

**MacWall** (https://macwall.app) is a native macOS app that turns 4K video loops into your desktop wallpaper. It is written in Swift, decodes video on Apple's media engine rather than the CPU, and lives in the menu bar instead of the Dock. Minimum macOS 15.0 or later; live Lock Screen and Screen Saver motion requires macOS 26 (Tahoe) or later.

## What it does

- Cloud catalog: featured, newest, and most popular
- Explore with search, filters, and community engagement
- Save favorites and browse 9 categories
- Import your own MP4 and MOV clips
- Multi-display playback, synced or solo (hardware decode)
- Music Sync: album-art gradients from Apple Music and Spotify
- Menu bar control: pause, resume, stop, switch wallpapers
- Auto-pause on battery, full screen, and high CPU

## Pricing

- **Free**: download with no account required and continue after onboarding with 6 starter wallpapers.
- **Pro (permanent license)**: $7.99 one time in default USD pricing, activates on up to 3 personal Macs, and unlocks the full catalog, private imports, and current Pro benefits.
- **Pro+ packs**: permanent multi-Mac licenses for families, studios, and labs. Available device counts and regional prices are on [pricing](https://macwall.app/pricing).

## Catalog

Over 1,000 curated loops across 9 categories (Anime, Nature, Cars, Gaming, Space, Heroes, Dark, Abstract, Others), browsable in the app or on the web at [macwall.app/wallpapers](https://macwall.app/wallpapers). Community members publish new wallpapers from inside the MacWall app (Add Wallpaper → Share with the community).

## Performance model

Frames are decoded through VideoToolbox and composited with Metal to keep playback overhead low. Actual CPU and energy use varies with the Mac, codec, resolution, frame rate, display count, and settings. Playback can pause on battery, in full-screen apps, on display sleep, in Low Power Mode, and when system load spikes; while paused, video decoding stops.

## Where to start

- [Install MacWall](https://macwall.app/docs/install-macwall): download, install, first wallpaper.
- [Set a live wallpaper](https://macwall.app/docs/set-a-live-wallpaper): catalog, per-display setups, playlists.
- [Performance and battery](https://macwall.app/docs/performance-and-battery): every pause rule, and how to verify CPU use.
- [What is a live wallpaper?](https://macwall.app/learn/what-is-a-live-wallpaper): concepts and terminology.
- [Complete guide](https://macwall.app/blog/what-is-macwall-complete-guide), the long-form overview.

## Contact

- Support: [support@macwall.app](mailto:support@macwall.app)
- Community: [Discord](https://discord.gg/4tq2Axvg2h)
- Publisher: MacWall

---

Source: https://macwall.app/