An ASCII candle: one small flame built from density characters flickers above a wax pillar, with a soft halo of drifting dots and a thin thread of smoke.
An ASCII candle: one small flame built from density characters flickers above a wax pillar, with a soft halo of drifting dots and a thin thread of smoke.
In the app you can adjust the colours, flicker, halo and character rows. 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 Candle ASCII 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.
Candle ASCII FAQ
How do I set Candle ASCII as my screensaver on a Mac?
Install SCRNSVRS free from the Mac App Store, select Candle ASCII 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 Candle ASCII as a live wallpaper?
Yes. Click Set as Wallpaper in SCRNSVRS and Candle ASCII plays on your desktop behind your windows and icons. You can use it as screensaver and wallpaper at the same time.
Is Candle ASCII free?
Candle ASCII 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 Candle ASCII a video loop?
No. Candle ASCII 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 Candle ASCII 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 Candle ASCII costs next to nothing in everyday use.
Which Macs does Candle ASCII run on?
Candle ASCII needs macOS Tahoe 26 or later.
