How to Create and Set a Dynamic Wallpaper with Equinox on macOS

Equinox is a free, open-source macOS app for building dynamic wallpapers, and the basic flow is: pick a wallpaper type (Solar, Time, or Appearance), supply the images that type requires, run the built-in calculator if your type needs it, create the wallpaper locally, then set it as your desktop picture from within the app. It works with the Dynamic Desktop and Light/Dark Desktop wallpaper types introduced in macOS Mojave, so you need a Mac running Mojave or later. The app is distributed via GitHub and the Mac App Store, and the site describes it as free with no ads, paid premium features, or watermark.

Before you start

• macOS Mojave or later — the dynamic wallpaper formats Equinox produces depend on Dynamic Desktop support that arrived in Mojave.
• Your source images — the number and kind depend on the type you choose (see below). Have them ready before you open the app.
• A location — only needed for Solar wallpapers, where the app calculates sun position.

Step 1: Choose the wallpaper type

Equinox offers three types, and the choice determines what you need to provide:

If you just want a wallpaper that flips with Light/Dark mode, Appearance is the simplest — two images and you're done. If you want the desktop to shift gradually over the day, Solar or Time is the better fit.

Step 2: Run the calculator (Solar and Time)

For Solar wallpapers, use the built-in calculator to do the solar calculations in one place: select your location, and the app works out when each image should be shown based on the sun's position. The site describes location selection as drag-and-drop. For Time wallpapers, you set the times yourself rather than relying on solar math.

Appearance wallpapers skip this step entirely — there's nothing to calculate, since the switch is driven by the system's light/dark setting.

Step 3: Create the wallpaper

Creation happens locally on your Mac. The site's pitch is that you can "express yourself" and create as many unique wallpapers as you want, locally — nothing about the process requires uploading your images anywhere. Once the images and any calculator settings are in place, you generate the wallpaper file.

Step 4: Set it as your desktop picture

Equinox lets you set the wallpaper right after you've created it, so you don't have to hunt through System Settings to apply it. If you'd rather apply it manually later, the created file is a standard dynamic wallpaper you can select through macOS's own desktop picture settings.

What to expect and common snags

• Wrong image count for the type. Appearance mode needs exactly two images (light and dark). If you're planning a multi-phase day/night sequence, that's a Solar or Time wallpaper instead.
• Solar results look off. Solar timing depends on the location you selected in the calculator — check that first before regenerating.
• Verifying it worked. After setting the wallpaper, switch your Mac between Light and Dark appearance (for Appearance wallpapers) or wait for the next time/solar transition to confirm the image actually changes.

Is it the right tool for you?

Equinox fits if you want a no-cost, open-source way to build dynamic wallpapers from your own images on a modern Mac, and you're comfortable choosing between solar, time, and appearance logic. User reviews on the App Store and Reddit cited in the site's reviews section describe it as easy to use, cleanly designed, and working on Monterey. If you need a wallpaper that responds to something other than sun position, clock time, or light/dark mode, the three supported types are the limit of what the app produces.