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Vivid Walls is a small, actively-developed app. If a scene doesn't render correctly, a feature is missing, or something is broken, please tell us. Most reported issues get fixed within a release or two.
Scene compatibility reports
Vivid Walls renders scene files created for Wallpaper Engine. Most render correctly, but with the sheer variety of art, animation, and effect combinations in the wild, edge cases exist.
If a specific scene doesn't look right (wrong colors, missing effects, incomplete animation, or a black screen), send us:
- The scene name (or the Steam Workshop link)
- A short description of what's wrong versus how it should look
- Your Mac model and macOS version (Apple menu → About This Mac)
- A screenshot if the issue is visual
We actively patch the rendering engine for reported scenes. Fixes ship in the next app update.
Installation and setup
How do I get Vivid Walls?
Download Vivid Walls from the Mac App Store, free with a 3-day trial of the complete app. A one-time $9.99 purchase unlocks the full library after that, no subscription. Requires an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or later) running macOS 14.0 or later.
How do I transfer my Wallpaper Engine library from Windows to Mac?
The Vivid Walls Companion app for Windows is free. Download it from the home page, run it on your PC, and it will auto-detect your Wallpaper Engine library folder. Your Mac and PC need to be on the same Wi-Fi network. On your Mac, open File → Import from PC (Cmd+Shift+P), enter the 4-character code shown by the Companion, and your scenes transfer locally, no cloud, no account.
What are the system requirements for Vivid Walls?
- macOS 14.0 (Sonoma) or later.
- Apple Silicon (M1 or later) required, Intel Macs are not supported.
- 2 GB of free disk space for the app plus your library.
- For companion import: Windows 10 or later, Wi-Fi network shared with your Mac.
Does Vivid Walls drain battery or slow down my Mac?
Vivid Walls runs at 30 fps by default and 15 fps on battery, it pauses when the desktop is fully covered or an app goes fullscreen, it pauses after 15 minutes idle, it respects Low Power Mode, and it drops to 15 fps under thermal pressure. If a specific scene is hot:
- Check the in-app Performance Dashboard (Settings → Performance) for a live readout of CPU, memory, and frame rate.
- Turn on "Manage on battery power" in Settings → Performance and pick "Pause entirely" or "Reduce to 15 FPS" to cut the cost while unplugged.
- Enable "Pause when a fullscreen app is active" if a game or video app takes over the display.
- For multi-monitor setups, drag a lighter scene onto secondary displays.
How do I get a refund for Vivid Walls?
Refunds on the Mac App Store are handled by Apple. Visit reportaproblem.apple.com, sign in with your Apple ID, find the Vivid Walls purchase, and request a refund. Apple normally processes these within 24 to 48 hours.
Privacy and data
Vivid Walls runs entirely on your machine. Scene transfers happen over your local Wi-Fi network, not through any cloud service. We don't collect analytics, don't track usage, and don't require an account. See the privacy policy for specifics.
Is Vivid Walls affiliated with Wallpaper Engine?
Vivid Walls is an independent app. It is not produced by, affiliated with, or endorsed by the publisher of Wallpaper Engine. The name "Wallpaper Engine" is a trademark of its respective owner and is used here only to describe the file formats Vivid Walls can read. No Wallpaper Engine code is included in Vivid Walls, it is an independent app running natively on the Mac.
