Support
Everything you need to get the most from Lumen, and a direct line to the developer when you need one.
- Getting startedYour first wallpaper in a minute
- TroubleshootingFixes for the usual suspects
- ContactWrite to the developer
Getting started
- Install Lumen from the Mac App Store (search for "Lumen: Live Wallpapers") and open it. A short welcome explains how it works.
- Pick a wallpaper. Browse Discover or Collections. Previews stream as you browse, so you can see a clip move before you download it.
- Choose Set as Wallpaper. Lumen downloads the clip if needed, saves a copy of your current wallpaper, and brings your desktop to life.
- Turn on Launch at Login in Settings if you want your wallpaper back after every restart.
You can close Lumen's window at any time. The wallpaper keeps playing and Lumen stays available from the menu bar.
Motion and battery
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Always playing | Keeps animating, even behind your windows. |
| Only when the desktop is visible | Freezes while your apps cover the desktop and resumes when you can see it. A slider sets how much of the screen can be covered first. This is the default, and the best balance for most people. |
| Always still | Shows a single frame, like an ordinary wallpaper. No ongoing cost at all. |
Reduce on battery, on by default, holds a still frame of your wallpaper whenever your Mac is unplugged, and motion returns when you plug back in. You can switch modes at any time from the menu bar.
To choose which frame appears when motion is off, open a wallpaper and use Choose Still Frame, scrub to the moment you want, and click Save Frame.
Your own videos
Open My Uploads and add any MP4 or MOV file. Lumen keeps its own copy, so moving or deleting the original later will not break your wallpaper. Your videos are never uploaded. Removing one from Lumen deletes only Lumen's copy; your original file is untouched.
For the sharpest result, use video that matches your display's resolution. Make sure you have the right to use any video you add.
Troubleshooting
The desktop turned black or shows the wrong picture
Apply the wallpaper again, or use Restore My Wallpaper in Settings and start over.
The wallpaper stopped moving
- Check the motion mode in the menu bar. Always still never moves, and Auto freezes whenever enough of the screen is covered.
- In Auto, move the coverage slider in Settings to the right so Lumen keeps playing with more windows open.
- Make sure Lumen is running. If you quit it from the menu bar, the desktop holds its last frame until you open Lumen again.
A download fails or stalls
Check your internet connection and try again. Clips come straight from the footage providers' servers, which are occasionally slow or unavailable. A failed download never leaves a broken wallpaper behind.
Lumen is using a lot of disk space
Downloaded clips and the versions Lumen prepares for macOS are stored on your Mac. Use Clear render cache in Settings to remove prepared files you are not using. The wallpaper currently on screen is always kept.
Undo and uninstall
- In Settings, click Restore My Wallpaper. Your original wallpaper returns exactly as it was.
- Quit Lumen from the menu bar and move it to the Bin.
Lumen keeps everything it stores in a single folder named Lumen inside your user Library, in Application Support. Deleting that folder removes every downloaded clip and setting.
More questions
Why is a clip slow to download?
Clips are large, typically 50 to 200 MB each, because they are genuine 4K. They come straight from the footage provider's own servers, so speed depends on your connection and on how busy that server is. You can keep browsing while a download runs.
A wallpaper I liked has disappeared from the library.
Footage is hosted by its providers, and occasionally a provider moves or removes a file. If you downloaded the clip already, it stays on your Mac. If not, it may no longer be available.
Can I use Lumen on more than one Mac?
Yes. Install it from the Mac App Store on any Mac signed in to your Apple Account.
Does Lumen work with full-screen apps and Spaces?
Yes. macOS stores the wallpaper separately for each Space, so Lumen reapplies your choice as you move between Spaces.
See also the questions on the home page.
Contact
Every message is read and answered by a person on the Lumen team.
Replies usually arrive within two business days. To help, please include your macOS version, your Lumen version (shown in Settings) and your Mac model, plus a screenshot if something looks wrong.