How to set a live wallpaper on Windows 11
Step by step
- Check whether your PC is x64 or ARM64Open Settings › System › About and look at System type. An x64-based processor takes the x64 installer; an ARM-based processor takes ARM64.
- Download the matching installerIn the site's downloads section, choose Intel or AMD PC (x64) or Windows on ARM PC (ARM64). It's free and needs no account.
- Run the installerOpen the downloaded Setup file. It installs without admin rights. If SmartScreen warns you, click More info and then Run anyway.
- Pick a wallpaperPrimoEngine lives in the system tray. Open the app, go to Explore and open a wallpaper to see the live preview.
- Apply it to the desktopClick Use as wallpaper. With more than one monitor, use it on every display or just one.
Does Windows 11 have animated wallpapers built in?
No. Under Settings › Personalization › Background, Windows 11 lets you choose a picture, a solid color, a slideshow or Windows spotlight, which swaps the photo from time to time. None of these put motion on your desktop.
To get a truly animated background you need an app that draws behind your icons. PrimoEngine does it natively: shaders run on DirectX 11 on your GPU, and web scenes and videos work too. The Windows version is in beta.
Which installer should I download: x64 or ARM64?
PrimoEngine ships one installer per kind of PC, and picking the right one saves you trouble:
- x64: PCs with an Intel or AMD processor. That’s most of them.
- ARM64: Windows on ARM PCs, such as Snapdragon X laptops.
How to check your PC type
- Open Settings.
- Go to System › About.
- Under System type, see whether it says x64-based processor or ARM-based processor.
You need Windows 11 23H2 or newer and a GPU with DirectX 11.
Installing and getting past SmartScreen
Download the installer from the downloads section and open it. It doesn’t ask for admin rights: it installs into your user folder and creates the shortcuts.
Because the Windows build is still a beta and isn’t code-signed yet, SmartScreen may show a warning the first time. If it does, click More info and then Run anyway. Once installed, the app updates itself, also without an admin prompt.
How to set the live wallpaper
After installing, PrimoEngine sits in the system tray, next to the clock. Open the app from there.
- Go to Explore and browse the catalog. You can filter by type or category, or show only the free ones.
- Open a wallpaper to see the live preview.
- Click Use as wallpaper. With two or more monitors, use it on every display or on just one.
- Under Customize, adjust speed, color and any other controls the wallpaper has.
Six wallpapers are free forever, including Pulse and Origami Tunnel, which react to whatever music your PC is playing. The rest of the catalog, which you can watch move in the gallery, comes with Premium.
Desktop right-click shortcut
PrimoEngine adds Next wallpaper and Previous wallpaper to the desktop’s right-click menu. On Windows 11 they sit under Show more options, or appear right away with Shift + right-click.
Start with Windows
The tray menu has a Start with Windows option, so your wallpaper comes back on its own when you turn on the PC.
What about the screen saver?
Windows won’t let apps animate the lock screen, so PrimoEngine uses the screen saver instead. With Premium, when your PC sits idle, your desktop wallpaper plays full screen on every monitor, live. Move the mouse or press a key to leave.
To turn it on:
- Open PrimoEngine’s Settings and go to Lock screen.
- Turn on Use PrimoEngine as the screen saver.
- Under Start after, choose how many idle minutes to wait.
In the same section, Use on lock screen puts a still of the wallpaper, with your settings, on the Windows lock screen. That part is free. More in the guide to live wallpapers on the lock screen.
Laptop tips
- In Settings, under battery, choose whether to keep the full frame rate, throttle to 30fps or pause while the PC is on battery.
- Prefer shaders: per PrimoEngine’s docs, they’re the lightest kind of wallpaper. See do live wallpapers drain battery?
- Got a Mac too? Web wallpapers and videos you import or receive work on both systems with the same file, and one Premium covers 1 Mac and 1 PC. The Mac guide is how to set a live wallpaper on Mac.
Download the Windows beta
PrimoEngine is free and needs no account. Pick the x64 or ARM64 installer and get your first live wallpaper on the desktop in a minute.
Frequently asked questions
Does Windows 11 support animated wallpapers?
No. Settings › Personalization › Background lets you pick a picture, a solid color, a slideshow or Windows spotlight, but none of them animate the desktop. You need an app for that.
Which PrimoEngine installer do I need, x64 or ARM64?
Open Settings › System › About. If System type says x64-based processor, get x64 (most Intel and AMD PCs). If it says ARM-based processor, get ARM64 (Snapdragon X and other ARM laptops).
Why does Windows show a SmartScreen warning?
The Windows build is a beta and isn't code-signed yet, so SmartScreen may warn you the first time. Click More info and then Run anyway.
Will a live wallpaper slow down my PC?
PrimoEngine stops drawing when a full-screen app or game covers the desktop, and on a laptop you choose what happens on battery: keep the full frame rate, throttle to 30fps or pause.
What graphics card do I need?
A GPU with DirectX 11, on Windows 11 23H2 or newer. Shaders run on DirectX 11, straight on your GPU.
Does my Mac Premium work on Windows?
Yes. Lifetime Premium is US$ 8.99, paid once, and activates on 1 Mac and 1 PC with the same code.