How to set a video as your wallpaper on Mac
Short answer: macOS has no setting for it. System Settings lets you choose Apple's own moving wallpapers, but you can't point it at your own video. To use your own, you need an app that plays the video on the desktop, under your icons.
What macOS can do by itself
Open System Settings, then Wallpaper. The Aerial and landscape options move when your screen saver or lock screen is showing, and only Apple's clips are available. There's no button to add your own.
How to do it with Hazewall
- Download Hazewall and move it to Applications. The first 7 days are free and there's no account.
- Open it, then drag your video onto the window, or click Add video.
- That's it. It's now playing on your desktop, under your icons.
If you have more than one display, right-click a wallpaper to set it on just one of them.
What kind of video works best
- MP4 or MOV. H.264 and HEVC both play with the Mac's video hardware.
- At least your screen's size. A 1080p clip will look soft on a Retina display.
- Clips that loop well. Rain, waves, fire and clouds hide the join. A clip of people walking won't.
- Sound is ignored. Wallpapers always play muted.
Will it slow down my Mac?
In our test on an M4 MacBook Pro, playing a 4K wallpaper used about 3% of one CPU core. Hazewall also pauses when a window covers the wallpaper, when you're on battery, in Low Power Mode, and when your screen is locked. An older Mac will work harder, so try it in the free trial.