After trying out all the popular wallpaper apps for Mac, I finally chose my favorite five that actually deliver in both looks and features: Unsplash Wallpapers, Wallpapers X, Irvue, Paper Live Wallpapers, and 24 Hour Wallpaper. These give you free access to tons of beautiful high-resolution wallpapers across different categories like nature, cityscapes, art, anime, etc. Moreover, many of them change automatically, so you can enjoy a fresh workspace every day.
1. Unsplash Wallpapers
Unsplash is a repository of free high-quality images taken by professional photographers. It’s my top wallpaper app for Mac because of the sheer variety of images it offers while being super easy to use.
After installation, it appears as an icon in the top Menu bar for quick access. The first time you open it, you can select the frequency at which you want the wallpapers to automatically change. The options include hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly. If at any time you don’t like the wallpaper, you can quickly change it from the Menu bar.
I love the beautiful images it has of scenic places around the world, iconic cities, holiday themes, and much more. The best part is that the app is lightweight and does not affect system performance.
2. Wallpapers X
If you like a bit more control over your wallpaper, here’s an app that lets you select from several categories. These include Fantasy, Anime, Views, Cute images, and more. You can also choose between photos or videos, which act as live wallpapers. The video wallpapers will animate for a few seconds when you turn on your system.
The wallpapers are pretty unique and of great quality. Unfortunately, images don’t change automatically unless you upgrade to the premium version of the app. If you’re serious about your wallpapers, this app could be a worthy investment.
3. Irvue
Irvue is another wallpaper app from Unsplash with several customizable options. You can select different “channels” to get specific types of wallpapers, such as nature, spectrums, trains, etc. This ensures you’ll always see wallpapers that interest you. But in case you don’t like any, you can quickly change it.
In fact, you can create custom shortcut key combos to switch to another wallpaper. For instance, I simply hit Command + the right arrow key to go to the next wallpaper, the left arrow key to go back, and the down arrow to download the wallpaper. It also supports multi-desktop displays, so in case you use multiple desktop screens on your Mac, you can have a different wallpaper on each. Pretty neat!
4. Paper Live Wallpapers
If you’re looking for the best live wallpapers for your Mac, this app has got you covered. It features over 4,000 high-quality 4K and 5K live wallpapers that are simply stunning. The collection spans dozens of categories like nature, anime, pets, and more, all optimized for performance and minimal system resource usage.
I especially love the variety of options like one-click previews, dark mode support, and automatic switching. It packs a punch while still being easy to use. It provides an intuitive and immersive way to personalize your Mac screen!
5. 24 Hour Wallpaper
Whether you prefer serene nature scenes or vibrant cityscapes, 24 Hour Wallpaper offers a quick way to personalize your Mac with dynamic wallpapers. It boasts over 100 high-resolution wallpapers that change throughout the day to match the time at your location. With its advanced ProTime engine, the app provides smooth transitions, customizable timing, and full support for multi-monitor setups.
Although I love the quality of the wallpapers, I didn’t like that as soon as I opened the app, it directly changed the wallpaper without allowing me to choose what I wanted. Moreover, it comes with only eight free wallpapers included. You’ll need to purchase any additional ones. Nonetheless, I was mesmerized by the collection, so I had to include it in this list.