If you're having an issue with the app we apologize and are happy to help you solve it. This page include common questions and issues with the app. If you are having an issue not documented here please fill out our support request form. You can also contact us by e-mail at support@magicwindowapp.com. We will respond as fast as possible.

Magic Window Mac is fully compatible with macOS Big Sur.
An update optimized for Apple Silicon will be available soon. If you encounter any issues on Big Sur please fill out the support request form and we will get back to you as soon as possible. At this time there are no known issues.

Restart your system by using the Apple menu, or by holding the power button (for three seconds in Mavericks) to bring up the power menu, where you can choose the option to restart.
I would like to know how to restore the black text on the Mac MenuBar Right now, my text is a grey color (almost as if the options are disabled). I have provided an image below. This happened, I think, after I used this software. If I uncheck the 'Transulent Menu Bar' in System Prefrences, I get this: I would like it to look like this.
If your Mac menu bar is starting to resemble an icon farm, remember that you can remove items from the menu bar by holding down the Command key and dragging items out of the menu. The icon will disappear into a puff of dust, the same way an icon from the Dock or sidebar disappear.

On your Mac, choose Apple menu, then choose Restart, Shut Down, or Log Out. For more ways to restart, shut down, and log out, see Log out, sleep, wake, restart, or shut down your Mac. In the dialog that appears, deselect “Reopen windows when logging back in.”. The menu bar, more specifically the menu bar extras located on the right side of the screen, is controlled by the SystemUIServer process on macOS. Therefore, killing SystemUIServer will result in the menu bar restarting. Restart the Menu Bar using Activity Monitor.

1. General fix for common problems - restart the app

Many common problems can be fixed by restarting the app. If the wallpaper is not showing or is all white try the following steps:

Quit the app from the Menu Bar Menu and restart it from the Applications Folder.
If that doesn’t help…
Restart your Mac and re-run the app from the Applications Folder.
If that doesn’t help…
Reset the apps preferences - open “Preferences…” from the Menu Bar Menu, select the Advanced tab, and click “Reset Preferences” - then restart the app.

If none of these steps work, keep reading for other common problems and fixes.

2. macOS Catalina Compatibility.

Magic Window is fully compatible with macOS Catalina (tested through 10.15.5).
An updated system screen saver plug-in is now available which is notarized for Catalina.
Additional installation steps are required for the plug-in to access your downloaded scenes.
Please visit the Screen Saver Plug-in page for more information.

NOTE: If you experience a crash with reference to “X4000” this is due to a bug in macOS 10.15.5. Please update macOS to 10.15.6 which resolves this issue.

We always strive to have our software compatible with current Apple releases. All Magic Window products have been fully tested for compatibility with macOS Catalina and continue to support macOS Mojave and macOS High Sierra.

You can update to the latest versions (3.1) through the Mac App Store. Select the 'Updates' tab, find Magic Window in the list, and click Update. If you have any problems on a new operating system release or update please contact us at support@magicwindowapp.com.

3. Why doesn’t the app open when my Mac is restarted or updated?

The app needs to have “Always Open at Login” enabled to guarantee restart after update or reboot. Open “Preferences…” from the Menu Bar Menu and be sure “Always Open at Login” is checked under the General tab. Please note that this option is different from selecting Open at Login from the dock.

4. How do I add a lock to the Screen Saver? Do you offer a system Screen Saver plug-in?

We now offer a system Screen Saver plug-in that allows you to use macOS built-in screen-saver functionality including password locking. Please click the link below for download and setup instructions.

System Screen Saver Plug-in Download and Setup Instructions

5. How do I setup the Screen Saver? The Screen Saver is not working.

Please visit theScreen Saver Setup Instructions Pagefor detailed instructions on setting up the Screen Saver.

6. The Screen Saver keeps activating while I am watching movies. How do I stop this?

The only way to fully stop the Screen Saver from activating when watching full screen movies is to install the System Screen Saver Plug-in. Different apps use different methods to notify the system not to sleep, and only plug-ins can access all of these methods.

7. Why is the Screen Saver is running at Turbo speed even though I have it set to match desktop?

The System Screen Saver plug-in does not support speed setting. It always plays at turbo speed. If you want to control the speed of the Screen Saver, you can not use the Screen Saver Plug-in.

8. The wallpaper doesn't seem to be moving..

Magic Window wallpaper is intended to move slowly. Many scenes that lack clouds or other moving features may look like they are not moving, but watch and over time you will see it change.

If you want to see the wallpaper change faster, try selecting a faster speed. The speed can be changed from the Menu Bar Menu or from the apps preferences.

If setting the speed to “Fastest” doesn’t show movement, check the Magic Window Menu Bar Menu and make sure the scene is not 'paused.' If you have Magic Window set to stop on low battery, the scene may have automatically paused for that reason. Also try changing scenes and playing full screen.

Make sure that the “Enable Timelapse Wallpaper On Desktop” option is enabled in Magic Window Preferences. If this option is disabled, the wallpaper will be missing.

If none of this works, please contact us at support@magicwindowapp.com for assistance.

9. Why is the wallpaper black behind Mission Control?

There is no technical way for a macOS app to continue drawing to the screen while Mission Control is active. The app sets the system wallpaper to Black in an attempt to hide what can otherwise be an awkward transition to and from your default wallpaper. If you do not want the wallpaper set to black, disable the “Hide System Wallpaper With Black Color” option in Magic Window Preferences.

10. Can I set different wallpapers in different spaces?

Sorry, it is not possible to set different wallpapers in different spaces with Magic Window. Apple does not have a public API for identifying each space so it is technically not possible. It is possible to set different wallpapers on different monitors as described below.

Open 'Preferences..' from the Menu Bar Menu and check the “Multiple Monitors” option. Change the option to “show a different scene” to allow different scenes to be selected for each display.

12. Can I disable Magic Window on a specific monitor?

Yes, you can disable a specific monitor, but only if “show a different scene” is selected for the Multiple Monitors option as described above. If this option is selected, the Scene Browser Playlist picker will include the “Disable Display” option. The option can also be found in the Menu Bar Menu under the specific display you want to disable.

13. Can I delete scenes I don't want?

Yes, you can delete scenes by selecting the scene you want to delete in the Scene Browser and pressing the 'X' button in the upper right hand corner of the preview. This will delete the download, but the scene will still remain in the list so you can download it again later. If you want to delete all downloads, open Magic Window Preferences, select the Advanced tab, and press the Delete All Downloads button. Please note that there are 10 scenes built into the app that can not be deleted.

14. How do I uninstall the app?

To uninstall the app completely you need to delete the downloads first. Run the app and open “Preferences…” from the Menu Bar Menu. Select the Advanced tab and click “Delete All Downloads.” Then quit the app, and drag the

Restart App In Menu Bar Mac