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Backgrounds Changelog

What's new in Backgrounds 12

Feb 19, 2024
  • Backgrounds 12 brings full support for macOS Sonoma, introduces Web Gallery and Save as Wallpaper, includes new features, user experience improvements and support for Milkdrop to see mind-blowing music visualizations. This update also includes improvements and bug fixes.
  • Display:
  • Introduces Save as Wallpaper to influence the color of the menu bar and windows
  • Save the current theme as a wallpaper to influence the menu bar and windows tint and the system in general with support for a wallpaper configuration per display
  • Music:
  • Adds a new Frosted look option
  • Music Sync can control playback to Play, Pause, and change to Next or Previous Track
  • Adds support for the Theme menu items and the contextual menu when right clicking the Theme with Hide Desktop Icons enabled
  • Video:
  • Adds a Loop menu item, a contextual menu and a shortcut
  • Click the Theme menu when using the Video theme
  • Right click on a video when using Hide Desktop Icons to show the contextual menu
  • Press ⌥⌘L to toggle Loop mode
  • Web:
  • Introduces Web Gallery
  • Browse a collection of web wallpapers that look great on your desktop
  • Adds support for Milkdrop, a music visualizer that creates mind-blowing visualizations
  • It uses your microphone or the audio input you choose in System Settings
  • Adds support for several web wallpapers and features, including microphone support
  • Improves interaction with web content
  • Adds a contextual menu when right clicking the theme with Hide Desktop Icons enabled
  • System:
  • Network Data speed gauges now shows the extra speed with a second ring for measuring detail and big scope speeds, like the measuring the first 100 Mbps and then 1 Gigabit speeds
  • Enable the Multicolor Rings or Multicolor Open Rings to measure exceeding speeds from 100% to 1,000%
  • Clock:
  • Includes a new default rich text format that uses a rounded font
  • Improves the format of the non-custom options
  • Improvements:
  • Expands Deep Links support
  • Adds support for more features via deep links for automation via scripting, Shortcuts, Automator or any method that can open a URL
  • Includes Deep Links examples in the Help menu
  • New app icon
  • Under the hood changes and improvements for System and Clock

New in Backgrounds 11.2 (Dec 21, 2023)

  • Backgrounds 11.2 includes improvements and bug fixes.

New in Backgrounds 11.1.1 (Oct 17, 2023)

  • Fixes a crash on macOS Sonoma 14

New in Backgrounds 11.1 (Apr 7, 2023)

  • Backgrounds 11.1 adds a new icon only gauge for System, a new setting to change the composition when starting for Quartz and a new playback shortcut. This update also includes improvements and bug fixes.
  • System Gauge:
  • Adds a new icon only gauge with a bigger icon and no text for a clean look with no distractions (Requires macOS Ventura)
  • Improvements:
  • Adds a setting to change the composition when starting for Quartz
  • Adds a Play / Pause menu item to the Theme menu
  • Press ⌘P to play or pause playback in Video, Music Video Match, Web Video Loop and Quartz

New in Backgrounds 11.0.1 (Mar 21, 2023)

  • Improvements and bug fixes.

New in Backgrounds 11 (Mar 19, 2023)

  • Backgrounds 11 brings full support for macOS 13 Ventura, introduces RSS feed support for Quartz, adds new gauges for System and an analog clock. This update also includes improvements and bug fixes.
  • RSS Feed:
  • Download the Backgrounds RSS Visualizer Quartz composition and add your favorite RSS feed URLs in Quartz Settings
  • System:
  • The Open Rings Multi-Color gauge requires macOS 13 Ventura or later
  • Analog Clock:
  • This feature requires macOS 13 Ventura or later

New in Backgrounds 10.5 (Aug 7, 2022)

  • Improvements:
  • System Gauge Rings are now sorted depending on the closest corner
  • Improves widgets positioning when changing the screen resolution by making them relative to the closest corner
  • Fixes:
  • Solves an issue where Music Sync would stop responding

New in Backgrounds 10.4 (Jul 6, 2022)

  • Backgrounds 10.4 adds Web Items support for Video match. This update also includes improvements and bug fixes.
  • Music:
  • Video Match now supports Web Items
  • Play Video or Web Items that match the current track
  • Video:
  • Toggle Pause Video on Open App when it's active from the video's contextual menu
  • Hold ⌥ Option in the contextual menu to change the Pause Video settings
  • Improvements:
  • Improves Music Sync support for Quartz
  • User experience and UI improvements
  • Fixes:
  • Fixes an issue where the app may crash on macOS 10.13 High Sierra

New in Backgrounds 10.3.1 (May 18, 2022)

  • Fixes an issue where the compiler would cause a crash

New in Backgrounds 10.3 (May 16, 2022)

  • Backgrounds 10.3 introduces random options to change the selected theme, Music Layout or Web Item, adds Music Sync support for Video Match and support for naming Web Items. This update also includes improvements and bug fixes.
  • Random Theme:
  • Change the selected theme based on different criteria for each screen
  • Music:
  • Change the Music Layout when starting
  • Adds Music Sync support to Video Match
  • Web:
  • Adds support for naming Web Items
  • Change item when starting
  • Improvements:
  • Adds new options to the contextual menu when right clicking a theme with Hide Desktop Icons enabled
  • Improves mute and volume handling for Video
  • Improves support for multiple GPUs for System
  • Adds What's New History
  • User experience and UI improvements
  • Performance improvements

New in Backgrounds 10.2 (Feb 22, 2022)

  • Backgrounds 10.2 includes improvements and bug fixes.

New in Backgrounds 10.1 (Nov 23, 2021)

  • Backgrounds 10.1 adds support for Multiple Idle Themes. This update also includes improvements and bug fixes.

New in Backgrounds 10.0.1 (Nov 22, 2021)

  • Fixes an issue that would cause a crash on launch

New in Backgrounds 10.0 (Nov 21, 2021)

  • Backgrounds 10 brings full support for macOS 12 Monterey, introduces Music Sync to sync your wallpaper across multiple computers and adds new gauges for System. This update also includes improvements and bug fixes.
  • Music Sync:
  • Share the information of the music you are playing including artwork and sync your Backgrounds music wallpaper with all your authorized Mac computers on the local network
  • System:
  • Adds new gauges:
  • GPU
  • Battery
  • Network ↓↑
  • Web:
  • Edit URLs
  • Idle Theme:
  • Adds a new option "Hide and Show Other Apps" so you can keep other apps hidden after Idle Theme by using "Hide Other Apps"
  • Shortcuts:
  • ⌃ Control-click to show the current item in Preferences for Video when Hide Desktop Icons is enabled

New in Backgrounds 9.2.1 (Aug 16, 2021)

  • Fixes:
  • Solves an issue where Parallax may not update after entering sleep mode automatically with the display turned off after idle

New in Backgrounds 9.2 (Jul 14, 2021)

  • Backgrounds 9.2 includes new features, new floating window options and a shortcuts guide. This update also includes improvements and bug fixes.
  • Features:
  • New floating window options available for System and Clock
  • ⇧ Shift-drag to change position for System and Clock
  • Hide Desktop Icons:
  • ⇧ Shift-click to reveal the Desktop temporarily. Press ⇧ Shift again or switch apps to hide the Desktop back
  • Shortcuts Guide:
  • See all the shortcuts available in the Help > Shortcuts Guide menu
  • Streamlines previous shortcuts
  • Music and Video:
  • Now show the title of the current track or video in the theme's contextual menu
  • Web:
  • Improves Video Loop support and URL parsing
  • Fixes:
  • Fixes an issue that affected some presets for the "Pause video after idle time" preference
  • Fixes an issue that would cause the app to crash when updating from older versions

New in Backgrounds 9.1 (May 12, 2021)

  • Backgrounds 9.1 introduces the Video Library subscription, a curated collection of videos to use as your wallpaper. This update also includes improvements and bug fixes.
  • Video Library:
  • Introduces a subscription to access a curated collection of videos to use as your wallpaper. Expand your collection and enjoy your video wallpaper
  • Shortcuts:
  • ⌘ Command-click to hide other apps or show all the apps

New in Backgrounds 9.0 (Mar 9, 2021)

  • Backgrounds 9 brings full support for macOS Big Sur, expands Scripting support, includes new features for pausing playback in the Video theme, ability to add multiple URLs, reorder items and video playback options for the Web theme and more. This update also includes improvements and bug fixes.
  • Features:
  • Idle Theme settings are now configurable per screen
  • Adds Hide Other Apps to the menu bar icon and Dock menu
  • Adds new options to the contextual menu for Music, Video, Quartz and Web to Enter or Exit Full Screen
  • Video:
  • Loop, shuffle and mute properties are now assigned per playlist
  • Includes new options for pausing a video
  • Pause a video when on battery, CPU usage is high or an app is open
  • Adds new options to the contextual menu to Play or Pause a video
  • Includes Dark mode version of the default video animation
  • Clock:
  • Improves default rich text formats
  • Web:
  • Rebuilt to allow new features
  • Add multiple Web URLs along with folders
  • Reorder Web Items
  • Loop and mute video on YouTube
  • Scripting:
  • Expands support to more features
  • Adds the new commands to the included example script
  • Shortcuts:
  • ⇧ Shift-double-click to show the music player in Music
  • ⌥ Option-double-click to show the current file in Video, Quartz, Web and video files in Music
  • macOS 11 Big Sur:
  • Backgrounds is now fully compatible with macOS Big Sur
  • New app icon designed for Big Sur
  • Improvements:
  • User experience and UI improvements
  • Performance improvements
  • Fixes:
  • Fixes an issue that prevented colors from being changed for System
  • Fixes an issue that would cause the Music Theme to crash

New in Backgrounds 8.1 (Jun 16, 2020)

  • Backgrounds 8.1 expands Scripting Bridge support and updates the Glass and Quartz X screen savers. This update also includes improvements and bug fixes.
  • Scripting Bridge:
  • Expands the methods supported
  • Includes AppleScripts Examples in the Help > Developer menu
  • System:
  • CPU and Network gauges can now be disabled
  • Screen Savers:
  • Updates Glass and Quartz X
  • Brings music information support to Quartz X on macOS Catalina
  • Quartz X adds support for Spotify and Swinsian on macOS Catalina
  • Shortcuts:
  • Adds ⇧⌘S shortcut to enable or the disable the current theme
  • Improvements:
  • User experience, UI and general improvements

New in Backgrounds 8.0 (Jun 7, 2020)

  • Backgrounds 8 adds full support for macOS Catalina, introduces Scripting Bridge support and updates the Glass and Quartz X screen savers. This update also includes improvements and bug fixes.
  • Scripting Bridge:
  • Activate or query the status of a theme or widget
  • Switch the Hide Desktop Icons preference
  • Screen Savers:
  • Updates Glass and Quartz X
  • Glass includes a new Wallpaper Only option
  • Quartz X includes a new Use Random option
  • Improvements:
  • User experience, UI and general improvements

New in Backgrounds 7.7 (Jun 1, 2020)

  • Backgrounds 7.7 introduces a new layout for the Music theme, the ability to run JavaScript code for the Web theme and new shortcuts. This update also includes improvements and bug fixes.
  • New Features:
  • Adds keyboard shortcuts for Preferences
  • Hold ⇧ Shift when selecting a theme in the Menu Bar or Dock menu to go directly to a theme's preferences
  • Hold ⌥ Option when selecting a theme in the Menu Bar or Dock menu to change the Idle Theme
  • Press '⇧⌘,' to change Preferences panes
  • Adds an option to hide other apps when opening preferences
  • Adds an option to hide other apps when the system is idle instead of Enter Full Screen
  • Music:
  • Adds an artwork layout
  • Clock:
  • New default rich text formats
  • Web:
  • Execute JavaScript code and set a snippet to be run when the webpage finishes loading to customize it
  • Improvements:
  • User experience, UI and general improvements
  • Internal improvements:
  • Improves Clock's default rich text format color
  • Fixes:
  • Bug fixes

New in Backgrounds 7.6 (May 21, 2020)

  • Improvements:
  • User experience, UI and general improvements
  • Internal improvements
  • Improves Photos Album syncing
  • Improves Clock positioning and alignment
  • Fixes:
  • Bug fixes

New in Backgrounds 7.5 (May 5, 2020)

  • Backgrounds 7.5 adds localizations for Simplified Chinese and Spanish, a new Clock format and improves the user experience.
  • New Languages:
  • Simplified Chinese
  • Spanish
  • Clock:
  • New formatting options
  • Improvements:
  • User experience, UI and general improvements
  • Improves support for multiple displays
  • Improves Reset Preferences
  • Fixes:
  • Bug fixes

New in Backgrounds 7.4 (Dec 23, 2019)

  • New Features:
  • Adds support for the Music app in macOS Catalina
  • Improvements:
  • User experience improvements
  • UI improvements
  • Under the hood improvements
  • Improves Quartz reliability
  • Fixes:
  • Solves an issue where Quartz may not respond if music was stopped when the theme was activated

New in Backgrounds 7.3 (Aug 9, 2019)

  • New Features:
  • Shift-Double-click activates the music app in Music and Quartz themes
  • Improvements:
  • User experience improvements
  • UI improvements
  • Under the hood improvements
  • Fixes:
  • Fixes an issue that may cause the app to crash at launch

New in Backgrounds 7.2 (Jul 29, 2019)

  • Music:
  • Double click shows the current player when 'Hide Desktop icons' is enabled and 'Double click to show Desktop' is disabled
  • Clock:
  • Adds localization support and uses the user’s preferred language
  • Improvements:
  • User experience improvements
  • UI improvements
  • Internal improvements
  • Music and Video themes no longer register as now playing, leaving widget and media keys control to other apps like iTunes or Safari
  • Fixes:
  • Fixes an issue in the System Network gauges that showed the total value instead of the value per second when an update interval different than 1 second was selected

New in Backgrounds 7.1 (Feb 13, 2019)

  • New Features
  • Adds the Theme submenu to the status icon menu in the menu bar
  • Unifies the menu bar status icon menu with the Dock menu
  • Adds Custom option for Video Idle Time
  • Adds Reset Preferences for each display in Preferences > General as a contextual menu
  • Music:
  • Video Match adds support for Spotify and Swinsian
  • Parallax:
  • Adds support for files outside the Pictures folder
  • Web:
  • Adds double click to show Desktop
  • Improvements:
  • User experience improvements
  • UI improvements
  • Under the hood improvements
  • Improves System theme and widget support in High Sierra
  • Renames the Time theme to Clock
  • Improves shadow drawing for Clock
  • Improves default positioning for System and Clock themes and widgets
  • Improves Video logic for skipping a file after it failed loading
  • Fixes:
  • Bug fixes
  • Fixes an issue that prevented rendering when entering full screen in Quartz
  • Fixes some issues for Quartz when viewing in full screen

New in Backgrounds 7.0 (Jan 8, 2019)

  • Backgrounds 7 adds full support for macOS Mojave, includes a new dark appearance, new configuration options, user experience and under the hood improvements, and more.
  • Dark mode in macOS Mojave:
  • All-new dark appearance
  • Today widget adds dark and light rings variants
  • Quartz:
  • Adds the music track Loved property to the Quartz composition input data so it can be rendered along with the Rating property (compatible already with the Quartz composition BeComposed 1.6)
  • System:
  • Includes new Memory and Storage options
  • New configuration options Show label and Color text
  • Time:
  • New option to reset the font
  • Today Widget:
  • Adds support for dark and light modes
  • Includes new Memory and Storage options
  • Screen Savers:
  • Glass and Quartz X add macOS Mojave support
  • Improvements:
  • User experience improvements
  • Under the hood improvements
  • Minor improvements
  • Improves the video streams export process
  • Fixes:
  • Bug fixes
  • Fixes some issues that prevented selecting videos in a playlist

New in Backgrounds 6.2.1 (Nov 5, 2018)

  • Fixes an issue that showed a white background in System Widget and Time Widget.

New in Backgrounds 6.2 (Oct 31, 2018)

  • Music
  • Now uses the album’s artwork if the song’s artwork is empty.
  • Configure the side of the info labels.
  • Video
  • New options for changing and removing a folder.
  • Quartz
  • Now uses the album’s artwork if the song’s artwork is empty.
  • Run a composition at 60 FPS for smoother movement.
  • System
  • New dynamic colors algorithm.
  • Improves the dashboard legibility for small sizes.
  • Performance optimizations
  • Automatically pause a video or a quartz composition when it’s not visible.
  • New idle theme option to activate a theme when the system is idle.
  • New option to show or hide the app’s icon in the menu bar.
  • Show Current Item takes you to the file that’s being used or the current music player.
  • Updates the Quartz X screen saver.
  • User experience improvements.
  • Performance improvements.
  • Reliability improvements.
  • Bug fixes.
  • Improves Parallax reliability for an issue that may cause Parallax to stop updating after waking from sleep.
  • Fixes an issue that caused a theme to disappear when exiting full screen.

New in Backgrounds 6.1 (Sep 19, 2018)

  • New RAM gauge for System theme and System Widget.
  • User experience improvements.
  • Minor enhancements.

New in Backgrounds 6.0 (Mar 26, 2018)

  • New Rename option in the contextual menu for Video streams.
  • User experience improvements.
  • Under the hood improvements.

New in Backgrounds 3.0 (Mar 23, 2018)

  • UX improvements.
  • Under the hood improvements.

New in Backgrounds 1.6.3 (Dec 18, 2017)

  • Minor improvements and optimizations.
  • Bug fixes.

New in Backgrounds 1.6.2 (Dec 15, 2017)

  • Minor improvements.
  • Bug fixes.

New in Backgrounds 1.6.1 (Nov 29, 2017)

  • Includes iTunes Artwork 2.0. A Quartz Composition for displaying music artwork.
  • Quartz X has been updated to include iTunes Artwork 2.0.
  • Performance improvements and optimizations.
  • Bug fixes.

New in Backgrounds 1.6 (Oct 17, 2017)

  • New: Panorama for Parallax. Take advantage of your Panoramas and create immersive wallpapers.
  • New: Added support for Photos Albums. Load image albums in Parallax and video albums in Music and Video.
  • New: Hide the Desktop icons. Remove the clutter from your Desktop easily and enjoy your wallpaper.
  • New: Select a folder as a video files source.
  • User experience enhancements.
  • Performance improvements and optimizations.
  • Minor improvements.
  • Bug fixes.

New in Backgrounds 1.5 (Oct 11, 2017)

  • New Web theme.
  • Includes 3D Parallax.
  • Performance improvements and optimizations.
  • UX enhancements.
  • Minor improvements.
  • Bug fixes.

New in Backgrounds 1.4.11 (Sep 29, 2017)

  • macOS High Sierra Ready
  • UX enhancements
  • General improvements
  • Bug fixes

New in Backgrounds 1.4.10 (Sep 26, 2017)

  • New: Includes Quartz X, the Quartz Theme as a Screen Saver
  • New: Includes Glass, a transparent Screen Saver
  • UX enhancements
  • General improvements
  • Bug fixes

New in Backgrounds 1.4.8 (Sep 16, 2017)

  • User Experience enhancements
  • General improvements
  • Bug fixes

New in Backgrounds 1.4.7 (Mar 14, 2017)

  • iTunes Theme now supports Swinsian and Spotify
  • System Theme includes new gauges
  • Several performance improvements
  • Bug fixes

New in Backgrounds 1.4.6 (Nov 8, 2016)

  • Updated to macOS Sierra
  • Improved gauges in System Theme and Today Notification Center Extension
  • Several performance improvements
  • Bug fixes and minor improvements

New in Backgrounds 1.4.5 (Aug 2, 2016)

  • Video Theme includes a new video shot by Bryan Navarro. Shot in iPhone 5S Slow-Mo
  • Minor improvements
  • Bug fixes and optimizations