How to Get Mojave Dynamic Desktop on Your Mac Now | Tips & Tricks

The recent WWDC keynote provided a great deal of information on Apple’s next key step forward in the evolution of its desktop operating system. One of the more visually compelling features of macOS Mojave is its Dynamic Desktop feature.  With it your desktop will change as the day goes on. Dynamic Desktop in Mojave has a bit more to it than just switching desktop photos. macOS has been able to do that for forever. So, look for some cool goodies when the OS is released sometime in the Fall of 2018.

Between now and then, it is possible, with a bit of computer-based prestidigitation to simulate Dynamic Desktop on your existing Mac.  If this is something you’d like to do, then you’ve come to the right place. This article will show how you can get this cool Mojave feature on your Mac now.

Note: This hack will require you to download a special file and then make changes to your computer in the Desktop and Screen Saver section of Preferences.  Make certain you have a virus scanner on your Mac to scan the file you must download to enable this feature before putting it into place.

Dynamic Desktop

Dynamic Desktop in Mojave moves your Mac’s desktop wallpaper from one photo, based on the time of day and as the day progresses. What you end up with is a time lapse scene of a static view (like the default desert dunes) where the sun seems to move across the sky, based on the hour of the day. It’s all kind of cool.

With the proper set of photos, you can get the same effect on your Mac today. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Download the photos.

2. Unzip them to a permanent folder location on your Mac.

3. Open “System Preferences -> Desktop & Screen Saver.”

4. Click the Desktop tab.

5. Open Finder and navigate to the folder where you unzipped the photos above.

6. Drag the folder to the Folders section in Desktop & Screen Savers. The folder location should be added under Folders.

7. Click the newly added folder to select it. The photos in the folder should appear on the right side of the Desktop tab window.

8. Click the “Change picture” checkbox.

9. Click the dropdown. Select “Every hour” from the available choices.

10. If you wish to see a very quick progression of the sun pass over the desert sands, choose “Every 5 Seconds.” You should see the sun move quickly over the dunes displayed on your desktop, allowing you to confirm that everything works as intended.

Conclusion

Apple’s macOS Mojave is going to be an exciting advancement in their desktop operating system. They’ve built some really cool features into the release that should make it a compelling upgrade. One such feature, Dynamic Desktop, will change the wallpaper on your desktop based on the time of day, and perhaps the month, season or time of year.

It’s early in the beta process, so who knows how much Apple may build out this new feature. Getting it now, though, on your existing version of macOS, is simple and easy. While its not exactly the same, it is pretty close, and should provide anyone who uses it a great deal of enjoyment.