Aerial

Free, open-source Mac app that plays Apple TV aerial videos as a screensaver and live wallpaper.

Verified facts: 5 of 5
Alternatives ranked: 5
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Aerial

Aerial brought the Apple TV aerial videos to the Mac as a screensaver back in 2015, long before macOS had its own version, and it remains the more flexible way to use them. It plays the full catalogue of Apple's aerial footage, including the 4K 240 fps set, and lets you pick exactly what plays, build playlists, and add your own .mov or .mp4 files. Overlays such as a clock, the weather and location captions can be placed with a drag-and-drop editor. It can stretch one video across several displays, play a live camera or stream instead, and act as a native macOS live wallpaper that pauses when windows cover it. Community video packs can be installed inside the app. Aerial is free and MIT-licensed, has no telemetry, and is maintained by one developer who accepts donations. It is Mac-only, and the latest releases need a recent macOS; an older 4.0 build is kept for Macs on Sequoia.

Best for: Mac users who want Apple's aerial videos as a screensaver with more control than macOS offers.

What works

Free and open source with no telemetry
Plays your own videos and live camera feeds as well as Apple's
Clock, weather and caption overlays
Doubles as a live desktop wallpaper

Why people leave

Mac only
Latest version needs macOS 26 or later
High-quality video downloads use a lot of disk space

Top Aerial alternatives

See all 5

1
Fliqlo
A simpler free screensaver that shows just a big flip clock, and also runs on Windows.
66.5
2
Brooklyn
Another free open-source Mac screensaver, with animated logo designs instead of video.
62.6
3
Backdrop
Mac live wallpaper app with thousands of community scenes and Lock Screen support, if you want more variety than aerials.
54.5
4
Wallpaper Engine
The pick on Windows for animated video scenes as a wallpaper or screensaver.
52.6
5
Lively Wallpaper
Free Windows app for video wallpapers and screensavers, for those leaving the Mac.
51.2

Why people left Aerial

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

No switching stories yet. If you moved away from Aerial, review the app you switched to and tell us why.

Reviews

No approved reviews yet. How we verify reviewers

Write a review of Aerial

Aerial: common questions

Is Aerial free?

Yes. Aerial is free, open-source software.

Is Aerial open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at JohnCoates/Aerial.

What platforms does Aerial run on?

Aerial is available for macOS.

What are the best alternatives to Aerial?

The highest-ranked Aerial alternatives right now are Fliqlo, Brooklyn and Backdrop. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Aerial alternatives

Aerial facts

5 of 5 verified

Price: Free and open source; Checked Oct 30, 2026aerialscreensaver.github.io(opens source in a new tab); “It's free and open source, with overlays”
License: MIT; Checked Oct 30, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “License: MIT (MIT License).”
Platforms: macOS only; Checked Oct 30, 2026aerialscreensaver.github.io(opens source in a new tab); “community video packs. macOS only.”
Requirements: macOS 26 (Tahoe) or later; Checked Oct 30, 2026aerialscreensaver.github.io(opens source in a new tab); “Requires macOS 26 (Tahoe) or later.”
Own videos: Yes, .mov and .mp4; Checked Oct 30, 2026aerialscreensaver.github.io(opens source in a new tab); “Learn more Bring your own videos Drop any .mov or .mp4 into one folder and Aerial picks it up.”