macOS 26+Free & open sourceMIT

Your videos, natively on the Tahoe desktop.

AerialDrop imports your MP4 or MOV into macOS Tahoe’s own Aerial catalogue. Screen saver and lock screen, played by Apple’s pipeline. No helper processes, no app-managed player.

Install View on GitHub

One command. Copy it below or pick your method. See what’s new in 1.1.10 and 1.1.9.

— Choose macOS below · Apple Silicon · download
Encoding
HEVC Main10 · 30 fps · 10-bit Rec.709
Loops
80 s · sync samples at boundaries
Sources
MP4 / MOV · H.264 / HEVC
Backups
Auto, before every write
License
MIT

What’s new

Compatible release selection in 1.1.10, with Day/Night pairs from 1.1.9.

Version 1.1.10

Compatible release downloads

The website, install script, and Homebrew tap select the newest published release for your macOS version and processor. Version pins are validated, and downloads are checked against their published SHA-256 checksums.

Read the 1.1.10 release notes

Version 1.1.9

Day/Night wallpaper pairs

On verified macOS 27 builds, choose separate Day and Night videos, then explicitly apply Automatic selection. You can also select a fixed Day or Night member. Both videos stay protected during pair changes and recovery.

Unrelated missing media no longer blocks activation or removal. AerialDrop checks the selected wallpaper’s files before applying it, and keeps ordinary wallpaper activation available during pending recovery.

Pair playback is still being verified: imported-video playback, natural solar transitions after quitting, and lock/unlock checks remain pending.

Read the 1.1.9 release notes

Version 1.1.8

Safer activation and recovery

Wallpaper activation now verifies the selection macOS applied and reports when it needs attention. Backup restore rechecks the active wallpaper, blocks changes that would remove it, and preserves concurrent catalogue updates.

Import previews stay aligned when you change videos, rotated-video cropping is corrected, and conversion progress stays monotonic. Keyboard range selection starts from the focused wallpaper card, and the installer handles checksums and arguments more reliably.

Read the 1.1.8 release notes

Built like Apple’s own aerials

Every import is re-encoded to the exact sample-group shape Tahoe expects, then registered as a first-class catalogue entry.

Catalogue

Native entries

Imports appear under AerialDrop in System Settings → Wallpaper, with HEIF previews like the built-in aerials.

Encoding

HEVC Main10

30 fps, 10-bit full-range YUV, Rec.709, temporal sub-layers with a 15 fps base layer and 1.9 s closed GOPs.

Looping

Every boundary safe

Short sources are repeated by passthrough export with the loop snapped to whole 30 fps frames, so every loop lands on a sync sample.

Activation

One click

Apply an imported aerial across all Spaces and displays. AerialDrop checks its files, refreshes macOS, and verifies the requested selection. If verification fails, it reports Activation Needs Attention and offers a retry.

Safety

Reversible writes

Every catalogue write is backed up first and checked for concurrent changes. Restore Catalogue Backup rechecks the active wallpaper and refuses changes that would remove it or overwrite unrelated catalogue data.

Source

Never touched

Your file is opened read-only. Crop, quality, and resolution are tuned in place with a live 16:9 preview mask.

Day/Night

Two videos, one pair

Choose Day and Night imports in Library, then use Apply Day/Night Wallpaper to request native Automatic selection. Saved choices stay separate from the active wallpaper mode.

Compatibility

macOS 26+

Single wallpapers work on macOS Tahoe 26 and later. Day/Night pairs require a verified macOS 27 build; unfamiliar builds disable pair application. Native playback checks for custom pairs remain pending.

Install

Four ways in. Copy a command, run it, then verify with the check step.

Choose your macOS version below

Choose your Mac’s macOS major version to find its newest compatible release.

Manual ZIP results are for Apple Silicon Macs. Homebrew and the install script detect your Mac directly. Inspect all releases if this lookup is unavailable.

Homebrew cask

The cask selects the newest compatible release for this Mac, installs it in /Applications, and clears its download quarantine. brew upgrade --cask aerialdrop applies future compatible releases.

  1. Install the cask

    brew install --cask yapwh1208/tap/aerialdrop

  2. Verify it’s in place

    ls -d /Applications/AerialDrop.app

    Expected output: /Applications/AerialDrop.app. If it is missing, ls reports No such file or directory. Check the version next: 

    defaults read /Applications/AerialDrop.app/Contents/Info CFBundleShortVersionString

    Expected version for the selected macOS on Apple Silicon: Run installer to resolve. The current source version is 1.1.10; compatibility and publication decide the selected version.

  3. To upgrade later

    brew update && brew upgrade --cask aerialdrop
Before you install: the unsigned-app notice

AerialDrop is ad-hoc signed and not notarized by Apple. Homebrew and the install script clear the app’s download quarantine, which bypasses Apple’s first-launch malware check for that download. A manual ZIP retains the quarantine attribute. Approving the app saves a Gatekeeper exception but does not remove that attribute; to remove it, run the provided xattr command. A local source build does not have a download quarantine. Only install from the official YapWH1208/AerialDrop repository, and audit the open-source code if you have concerns. Apple verification requires Developer ID notarization.

What happens when you import

Seven steps, one pipeline. Press play to watch it run, or step through it manually.

Choose your video

Pick any MP4 or MOV (H.264 or HEVC), or drop it straight into the Import pane. You can tune the name, crop, quality, and output resolution before anything is written.

  • MP4 / MOV
  • H.264 / HEVC
  • Any orientation

Step 1 of 7 · Choose

First wallpaper in five checks

Tick each step as you go. Your progress is saved in this browser.

0 of 5 done

Questions, answered

Does AerialDrop modify my original video?

No. Your source is opened read-only and never touched. A re-encoded copy is installed into the wallpaper catalogue.

Why does my video need re-encoding at all?

Tahoe’s native player expects HEVC Main10 with temporal sub-layers (a 15 fps base layer at 30 fps) and sync samples at loop boundaries. Without that shape, the unlock transition can fail with VideoSampleReadingErrors and leave a black desktop. AerialDrop encodes to exactly the shape Apple’s own aerials use.

My video is shorter than 80 seconds. Will it work?

Yes. Short sources are encoded once, then repeated via passthrough export. The loop duration is snapped to whole 30 fps frames so every loop boundary lands on a sync sample.

Is the app signed or notarized?

It is ad-hoc signed and not notarized. Gatekeeper may block the first launch; approving it saves a security exception but does not remove the download quarantine attribute. To remove that attribute manually, use the xattr command in the Release zip instructions. Only install from the official repository, and audit the open-source code if you have concerns.

Does AerialDrop need to keep running after setup?

No. Once a single wallpaper is imported and applied, macOS plays it natively. AerialDrop is only needed for importing and managing the catalogue. Day/Night Automatic selection is also intended to continue after quitting, but natural transitions for imported pairs remain unverified.

How do I set up a Day/Night wallpaper pair?

On a verified macOS 27 build, expand Day/Night Wallpaper in Library and choose two different imported videos for Day and Night. Changing these choices saves a draft; it does not change your desktop. Choose Apply Day/Night Wallpaper to register the pair and request Automatic selection across all Spaces and displays.

To use a fixed Day or Night video, choose that video’s Set as Wallpaper action. Applying an ordinary imported wallpaper replaces the active pair. Apply Day/Night Wallpaper again to return to Automatic.

macOS 26 keeps the single-wallpaper workflow. Pair application requires verified macOS 27 and a recognized wallpaper extension build; the current supported extension build is 313.0.4.401. Unfamiliar builds disable pair application.

Does Automatic follow Light and Dark appearance?

No. Day/Night Automatic selection uses macOS’s native solar-position format, independently of Light/Dark appearance. Exact transition times are not established. Imported-pair playback, natural transitions after quitting, and lock/unlock behavior remain unverified. See the Day/Night runtime checks for the remaining validation.

What should I do if activation needs attention?

Retry activation in AerialDrop, or apply another imported wallpaper. For a Day/Night pair, retry Apply Day/Night Wallpaper. If a pair change cannot be verified, previous and new pair videos stay protected across relaunch until a native reload is verified; Remove Anyway cannot bypass that protection.

A missing file for an unrelated wallpaper does not block applying a valid selection. The selected wallpaper’s required files must still be available.

Can I restore a backup while an imported wallpaper is active?

Use Restore Catalogue Backup in Maintenance. Choose an existing snapshot by date and operation, then confirm the exact backup. This restores catalogue entries only, not deleted video files or the active wallpaper selection. AerialDrop rechecks the active selection before and during restore. It refuses a restore that would remove the active wallpaper, overwrite unrelated catalogue changes, or replace protected Day/Night media. If verification fails, the safety backup is retained for recovery.

Where are my wallpapers stored?

Inside ~/Library/Application Support/com.apple.wallpaper/aerials/, with backups under aerials/AerialDropBackups and Store/AerialDropBackups. Use Open Aerial Storage Folder from the Maintenance menu to get there.

What if a future macOS update changes the catalogue format?

The catalogue is a private API, so it could change. Every write is backed up first, and Restore Catalogue Backup checks the active wallpaper and unrelated catalogue data before restoring. Day/Night application is disabled on unfamiliar builds. A system update may require an AerialDrop update, reimporting, or reapplying your wallpapers.

Bring your own skies.

Turn a flight, a hike, a city at night, anything you shot, into a living Tahoe wallpaper.

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