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lively-community/lively

Free, open-source Windows app for setting animated wallpapers, web pages, games and screensavers on the desktop, built with WinUI 3.

Open-source alternative to:Wallpaper Engine

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What is it?

Lively Wallpaper is a Windows application that turns the desktop background into animated content. Users can set video files, GIFs, web pages, and even Unity or Godot applications as wallpaper, and drag and drop media into the app to apply it.

Wallpaper playback adapts to system activity: it pauses when a fullscreen application or game is running, when the laptop runs on battery, or during a remote desktop session. Playback rules can also be tied to the foreground application. Any wallpaper can be used as a screensaver, with support for multiple monitors.

For automation and development, Lively can be controlled from the command line and from tools such as Python or AutoHotKey. It also offers an API for building interactive wallpapers that read hardware readings, audio data and music information, and it supports machine-learning-driven wallpapers. The app is distributed through the Microsoft Store and as an installer, and is licensed under GPL-3.0.

Key features

  • 01Set video, GIF, webpage, or Unity/Godot application as animated wallpaper.
  • 02Playback pauses automatically during fullscreen apps, battery use, or remote desktop sessions.
  • 03Any wallpaper can be used as a screensaver with multi-monitor support.
  • 04Command-line control for scripting with Python or AutoHotKey.
  • 05API for building interactive wallpapers that access hardware and audio data.
  • 06Shadertoy URLs can be used as wallpaper.

Use cases

  • Personalizing a Windows 10 or 11 desktop with video or animated backgrounds.
  • Running interactive web-based or game-based wallpapers.
  • Automating wallpaper changes with scripts or external tools.
  • Building custom desktop widgets or audio-reactive wallpapers with the API.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install Lively from the Microsoft Store (Windows 10 1809 or above)

  2. 2

    Or download the installer from the latest GitHub release (Windows 10 1903 or above)

Things to know

  • Windows only; no macOS or Linux support.
  • Licensed under GPL-3.0, a copyleft license that requires derivative works to remain open source.

In collections

Windows apps and utilitiesDesktop GUI apps & toolkits

Topics

#wallpaper#windows#winui#desktop#screensaver#csharp#personalization#desktop-wallpaper#dynamic-desktop#dynamic-wallpaper

FAQ

What is lively?
Free, open-source Windows app for setting animated wallpapers, web pages, games and screensavers on the desktop, built with WinUI 3. Lively Wallpaper is a Windows application that turns the desktop background into animated content. Users can set video files, GIFs, web pages, and even Unity or Godot applications as wallpaper, and drag and drop media into the app to apply it.
Is lively free to use? What license does it have?
lively is open source under the GPL-3.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is lively still maintained?
Updated within 6 months. The last commit to lively was on Sep 30, 2026.
What can I use lively for?
Personalizing a Windows 10 or 11 desktop with video or animated backgrounds. Running interactive web-based or game-based wallpapers. Automating wallpaper changes with scripts or external tools. Building custom desktop widgets or audio-reactive wallpapers with the API.
How do I install lively?
Install Lively from the Microsoft Store (Windows 10 1809 or above) Or download the installer from the latest GitHub release (Windows 10 1903 or above)
Where can I get lively?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/lively-community/lively

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

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