How to use a video as your wallpaper on Mac and Windows
Step by step
- Install PrimoEngineDownload the free app for Mac (macOS 26 or later) or Windows 11 23H2 from the downloads section. No account needed.
- Turn on PremiumYour own video as wallpaper is part of the lifetime Premium: $8.99 once, for 1 Mac and 1 PC. Paste the license code into the app.
- Import the videoOn Mac, go to Installed and click + (Import). On Windows, use Import wallpaper. Pick an .mp4, .mov or .m4v file up to 256 MB.
- Apply it to the desktopThe app turns the video into a wallpaper named after the file. Click Use as wallpaper, on every display or just one.
Can you use a video as wallpaper without an app?
No, on neither system.
- On a Mac, System Settings only offers images, dynamic wallpapers (which swap stills with the time of day) and Apple’s aerials. The aerials are videos, but they only move when you lock or unlock the Mac; on the desktop they stay still.
- On Windows 11, Personalization takes a picture, a solid color, a slideshow or Windows Spotlight. No video.
To get your own video running behind your windows, you need an app that draws on the desktop. That’s what PrimoEngine does, on Mac and Windows, with the same file.
What you need
- PrimoEngine on a Mac with macOS 26 Tahoe or later (Apple Silicon or Intel), or on a PC with Windows 11 23H2 or later. On Windows, the app is in beta.
- Premium turned on. The app is free, but your own video as wallpaper is part of the lifetime Premium: $8.99 once, for 1 Mac and 1 PC.
- An .mp4, .mov or .m4v file up to 256 MB.
Step by step
1. Get the video ready
A few things make a real difference:
- Prefer HEVC (H.265). At the same quality, it takes less battery to decode than H.264.
- Make the loop invisible. The video restarts on its own. If the last frame looks like the first, nobody notices the cut.
- Match your display’s shape. The video fills the whole screen; if the aspect ratio differs, the edges get cropped.
- Forget the audio. The wallpaper always plays muted.
Use videos you shot or have the rights to use. The app imports files, not YouTube links.
2. Import it into PrimoEngine
- On Mac: open the app from the menu bar, go to Installed and click + (Import).
- On Windows: open the app from the system tray and use Import wallpaper.
Pick the file. The app wraps the video into a .livewallpaper package and uses the file name as the title.
3. Apply it
Click Use as wallpaper. With more than one display, put the video on all of them or just one, and keep another wallpaper on the rest.
4. Share it, if you like
The package is the same on Mac and Windows. On a Mac, export the .livewallpaper and send it to someone: video wallpapers open with a double click on both systems.
Will the video slow down my computer?
Much less than you might expect, for two reasons. First, the GPU decodes the video, not the processor. Second, PrimoEngine pauses the video when nobody is looking: with a window covering the desktop, a full-screen app or the display asleep, not a single frame is drawn. On a Mac, you can also pause it on battery.
The numbers, and what actually costs energy, are in do live wallpapers drain battery?
What about the lock screen?
- On a Mac, the lock screen only runs shaders for now, so the video won’t go there. If your desktop shows a video, the lock screen keeps the last shader you used. See live wallpaper on the Mac lock screen.
- On Windows, the video becomes the screen saver: with Premium, turn on Use PrimoEngine as the screen saver and, when the PC sits idle, the video plays full screen on every display.
No video of your own? Use the catalog’s
If you just want beautiful motion behind your windows, the Cozy collection has illustrated watercolor-style video scenes, from Rio de Janeiro to Tokyo. And the catalog’s shaders, like the Reactor collection, are even lighter than video and stay sharp at any resolution.
Download PrimoEngine
Get it free for Mac or Windows in the downloads section and see what Premium adds. The general walkthroughs are in how to set a live wallpaper on Mac and on Windows 11.
Sources
- Apple, change your Mac wallpaper: https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/change-your-mac-wallpaper-mchlp3013/mac
- Microsoft, personalize your desktop background: https://support.microsoft.com/help/17144/windows-10-change-desktop-background
- The .livewallpaper format reference (video): https://engine.oprimo.dev/docs/en/reference
Frequently asked questions
Can a Mac use a video as wallpaper without an app?
No. macOS only takes images, dynamic wallpapers (which swap stills through the day) and Apple's aerials, which only move on the lock screen. For your own video on the desktop, you need an app.
What about Windows 11?
Same answer. Personalization on Windows 11 offers a picture, a solid color, a slideshow and Windows Spotlight. Video needs an app such as PrimoEngine or Lively.
Which video formats work?
In PrimoEngine, .mp4, .mov and .m4v up to 256 MB, on both Mac and Windows. HEVC (H.265) uses less battery than H.264 at the same quality.
Does the video play with sound?
No. The wallpaper always plays muted and on a loop, filling the screen. If the video's aspect ratio differs from your display's, the edges are cropped.
Can I use a YouTube video as my wallpaper?
The app imports video files, not links. Use videos you shot or have the rights to use; downloading YouTube videos goes against YouTube's terms.
Does a video wallpaper drain the battery?
Decoding video costs a little while it's on screen. PrimoEngine pauses the video when a window covers the desktop, and on a Mac you can also pause it on battery.
Does the video show on the lock screen?
On a Mac, not yet: only shaders run on the lock screen. On Windows, yes, as the screen saver: with Premium, the video plays full screen when the PC sits idle.