A night camera feed in ASCII static with a running timestamp. Now and then a soft blur of denser characters gathers in the noise and slowly dissolves again.
A night camera feed in ASCII static with a running timestamp. Now and then a soft blur of denser characters gathers in the noise and slowly dissolves again.
In the app you can adjust the colours, visits, static 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 Static Cam 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.
Static Cam ASCII FAQ
How do I set Static Cam ASCII as my screensaver on a Mac?
Install SCRNSVRS free from the Mac App Store, select Static Cam 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 Static Cam ASCII as a live wallpaper?
Yes. Click Set as Wallpaper in SCRNSVRS and Static Cam ASCII plays on your desktop behind your windows and icons. You can use it as screensaver and wallpaper at the same time.
Is Static Cam ASCII free?
Static Cam 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 Static Cam ASCII a video loop?
No. Static Cam 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 Static Cam 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 Static Cam ASCII costs next to nothing in everyday use.
Which Macs does Static Cam ASCII run on?
Static Cam ASCII needs macOS Tahoe 26 or later.
