Details & FAQ

Questions about live wallpaper on a Mac

What is a live wallpaper on a Mac?

It is your desktop picture, drawn continuously instead of sitting still — the image behind your windows and under your Desktop icons. Diorama replaces whatever is set in System Settings → Wallpaper and draws in its place, on every display.

Is it a screensaver?

No. A screensaver runs when you are away; Diorama runs while you work. It is a menu bar app with no window of its own and no Dock icon.

Will an animated wallpaper slow my Mac down?

Each display stops drawing the moment your windows cover it — one screen at a time, not all or nothing — and the wallpapers that fetch data stop asking too. Everything stops when the screen sleeps or locks, or the Mac drops into Low Power Mode.

Does it work with Spotify and Apple Music?

Yes, and with Tidal, Podcasts and audio playing in a browser — anything that shows up in macOS's Now Playing. There is no plugin to install and nothing to sign in to.

Does it work on more than one display?

Every display gets its own wallpaper, composed for its own size and shape rather than cropped from a picture made for another. Portrait, ultrawide and the built-in one, all at once.

Which version of macOS does it need?

macOS 15 or later, on Apple silicon and Intel.

Is there a free version?

The cassette deck is free permanently. The other twelve wallpapers are unlocked for a week with no card and no account, and after that it is a one-time purchase.

How do I install it?

Drag Diorama into your Applications folder, then open it from there. It has no Dock icon — it lives in the menu bar.

What leaves my Mac?

Only what a wallpaper needs, with your location rounded to about a kilometre. What you play never leaves your Mac. The privacy page lists every request.