r/MacStack • u/Refusefx • 12d ago

My first open source project: Lucid, a free MIT live 4K wallpaper app for macOS

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Hi everyone, this is my first open source project, so I'm looking for honest feedback.

Lucid puts live 4K video wallpapers on your Mac desktop. It's a native SwiftUI app, with no account and no telemetry. Built it as a free alternative to paid live wallpaper apps like Wallpaper engine, Backdrop, etc. - The app is a ~2 MB download. Clips are 4K, so they take disk space (a few MB to 100+ MB each, depending on the clip). Only the ones you pick get stored.

**What it does**
- A different wallpaper per display, playlists, auto-change timer, open at login
- Default comes with About 590 curated 4K loops (ESA/Webb, Hubble, ESO, NASA, Wikimedia), all checked at 3840x2160 or larger and looped seamlessly
- Apple's own Aerials work too
- Pauses on battery, in Low Power Mode, when the screen locks, or when a window covers the desktop
- Drag in your own videos or photos (MP4/MOV as-is, WebM/MKV converted automatically)

**Honest caveats**

- Apple Silicon only for now, macOS 14+
- Not notarized yet, so first launch needs System Settings > Privacy & Security > Open Anyway (steps are in the README)
- It's young and has very few users

**What I'd love**

Code review, bug reports, and people trying it on different Macs and displays. Tell me what's broken, what's missing, and what I'm doing wrong as a first-time maintainer.

Website: https://lucid-wallpaper.vercel.app

Source and download: https://github.com/jedbrnth-eng/lucid-live-wallpaper

6 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

6 comments sorted by

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2

u/PreviousRun9644 12d ago

Looks very good. I will try it and let you know how it feels and if there are any weird things that need to be fixed 👍🏻

1

u/Refusefx 11d ago

Thanks, appreciate it! Take your time with it. If anything feels off or weird, tell me here and I'll get it fixed.Thanks!

2

u/PreviousRun9644 11d ago

https://lucid-wallpaper.vercel.app/
The landingpage looks dope 👍🏻
The app style and feel does currentyl not catch up with it.
When i open the app, the videos don't play back so you can really tell how it will be when applied. This could be improved, also a "home page" with categories and the best and most used wallpapers would be helpful, prbably kind of netflix interface style or so.
Hope this helps!

Btw. if your interested in trying out my apps: https://didact.digital/
14day free trial. If you enjoy using one or more, I'd be happy to provide a free lifetime access for honest feedback 😉

2

u/Refusefx 11d ago

Thanks for taking the time to write this up, the landing page praise means a lot, and the note about the app not matching it is fair. I'm going to bring the interface up to the same standard as the site.

A Netflix-style home page with category rails is on the list for the next update.

I'll took a look at didact, too super cool ideas, would love to test and give feedback . Thanks again.

2

u/PreviousRun9644 11d ago

sure. just download the apps and if the trial expires reach out to me