A grid of equal dots lifted and dropped by a slow, travelling swell.
A grid of equal dots lifted and dropped by a slow, travelling swell.
In the app you can adjust the colours and density. It runs natively on your Mac, drawn live in real time – no video, never quite the same twice.
Use it on your Mac
- Get SCRNSVRS free from the Mac App Store.
- Select Dot Swell in the library.
- Click Set as Screensaver or Set as Wallpaper – or both.
Preview free · macOS Tahoe 26 or laterNeed a hand? Read the setup guide.
Dot Swell FAQ
How do I set Dot Swell as my screensaver on a Mac?
Install SCRNSVRS free from the Mac App Store, select Dot Swell in the library and click Set as Screensaver. macOS starts it whenever your Mac is idle, exactly like a built-in screensaver.
Can I use Dot Swell as a live wallpaper?
Yes. Click Set as Wallpaper in SCRNSVRS and Dot Swell plays on your desktop behind your windows and icons. You can use it as screensaver and wallpaper at the same time.
Is Dot Swell free?
Dot Swell is included in SCRNSVRS Unlimited. It's free for your first 7 days; after that Unlimited is $1.99/month or $9.99/year (€1.99/month or €9.99/year) for every screensaver, including new ones. It can also come up in Free this month, when 25 premium screensavers are free for everyone.
Is Dot Swell a video loop?
No. Dot Swell is rendered live on your Mac with Metal, so it never repeats and stays sharp on any display size. The clip on this page is a screen recording of the real thing.
Will Dot Swell slow down my Mac or drain the battery?
No. SCRNSVRS drops to 30 fps on battery and stops rendering when the wallpaper is covered by a full-screen app, so Dot Swell costs next to nothing in everyday use.
Which Macs does Dot Swell run on?
Dot Swell needs macOS Tahoe 26 or later.
