VideoPaper

VideoPaper is a lightweight macOS utility that lets you add your own looping video wallpapers so they appear natively inside System Settings > Wallpaper alongside Apple’s built‑in aerial / motion wallpapers — all without requiring admin privileges.

Current format support: .mov only (H.264 or HEVC recommended). Additional formats may come later.

Demo.mp4

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Table of Contents

• Features
• Requirements
• Why .mov Only?
• Installation
• Quick Start
• Preparing Your Video
• FAQ
• Credits

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Features

• Adds your custom video(s) so they appear like native motion wallpapers
• No administrator permissions required
• Simple, focused UI (made initially for SwiftSaturday)
• Designed for macOS 26+ (see note below)
• Clean removal (no invasive system changes)

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Requirements

• macOS 26 (Tahoe) or later
  (If you are testing on earlier public macOS versions, behavior may be undefined.)
• Apple Silicon or Intel Mac
• Xcode (only required if building from source)

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Why .mov Only?

macOS prefers .mov containers for certain system‑integrated media workflows. Restricting to .mov ensures:

• Reliable metadata parsing
• Smooth looping behavior
• Compatible codecs (H.264 / HEVC)

Support for .mp4 or other containers may be explored later.

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Installation

Option 1: Download (Recommended)

Homebrew (Also Recommended)

1. Install Homebrew if necessary
2. Tap our formulae with brew tap mcrich-llc/homebrew-formulae
3. Then install VideoPaper with brew install --cask VideoPaper

GitHub Releases

1. Visit the repository’s Releases page.
2. Download the latest VideoPaper.app zip.
3. Move the app to /Applications (optional but recommended).
4. Launch it (you may need to right‑click > Open the first time due to Gatekeeper).

Option 2: Build from Source

1. Clone the repo:

   git clone https://github.com/Mcrich-LLC/VideoPaper.git
   cd VideoPaper
   

2. Open in Xcode:

   open VideoPaper.xcodeproj
   

3. Select your target + Run.

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Quick Start

1. Launch VideoPaper.
2. Click the + button.
3. Upload a .mov file
4. (Optional) Change the thumbnail to a custom one.
5. Click Save
6. Open System Settings > Wallpaper and choose your new custom video.
7. Enjoy the looping motion wallpaper.

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Preparing Your Video

Recommended Specs

• Format: .mov
• Codec: HEVC (smaller) or H.264 (broader compatibility)
• Resolution: Matches or is close to your display (e.g., 1920×1080, 2560×1440, 3840×2160)
• Frame Rate: The higher the better!
• Duration: 5–30 seconds, seamlessly loopable

Converting with ffmpeg

If your source is input.mp4, convert to .mov:

HEVC (smaller file, macOS modern):

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v libx265 -tag:v hvc1 -crf 26 -preset medium -an output.mov

H.264 (broader compatibility):

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v libx264 -crf 20 -preset slow -an output.mov

(Optional) Add a slight fade to hide loop seams:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -filter_complex "fade=t=out:st=24:d=1,fade=t=in:st=0:d=1" -c:v libx264 -crf 20 -an output.mov

FAQ

Does this modify system files?
No. It aims to work without privileged changes.

Can I use .mp4?
Not yet. Convert it to .mov using the steps above.

Does it auto-loop?
Yes—macOS handles the looping once registered.

Audio supported?
macOS wallpaper videos are typically silent—strip audio for best efficiency.

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Credits

Inspired creation by SwiftSaturday. Built with Swift and enthusiasm for customizable macOS experiences.

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Feedback

Have ideas or found an issue? Open an Issue or Pull Request on the repository.

Enjoy your new motion wallpaper experience!