Lively Wallpaper is a desktop application that allows users to set animated wallpapers and screensavers on Windows using WinUI 3.
The tool solves the problem of static desktop backgrounds by enabling playback of various animated content types as wallpapers. It supports video files and GIFs with fixed resolution and performance characteristics, webpages with variable resolution and performance that can be interactive, and applications or games built with Unity or Godot that run as interactive wallpapers. The application includes a minimal webpage renderer powered by chromium and hardware-accelerated video playback using mpv or vlc with customizable filters. Any wallpaper can also function as a screensaver with multi-monitor support.
Lively suits Windows users seeking animated desktop backgrounds without complexity. The drag-and-drop interface makes setup straightforward. The tool distinguishes itself through several capabilities: command-line control for automation and integration with other languages like Python or AutoHotkey, a developer API providing access to hardware readings and audio graph data for creating interactive wallpapers, and support for machine learning inference to generate dynamic wallpapers. Shadertoy.com URLs are supported directly as wallpapers. Performance management features pause playback when fullscreen applications run, allow rules based on foreground applications, and can pause during battery operation on laptops or remote desktop sessions.
The project maintains active community engagement through Reddit and GitHub discussions. Development activity shows consistent refinement of the codebase with attention to performance optimization and feature expansion across multiple wallpaper types. The maintainers prioritize native Windows integration using current platform frameworks and keep the application free without paywalled features.
