Make yourself at home.

Shan Shui is a menu bar app for macOS 13 or later. The Mac App Store release is being prepared.

Moving from the GitHub download

Quit the download app and confirm your original wallpaper returned before opening the Mac App Store version. If needed, choose a background in System Settings → Wallpaper first. Run one version at a time; the store app has its own settings and wallpaper history.

Find the controls

Launch Shan Shui, then click the small pavilion in the menu bar. If the icon is hidden by a crowded menu bar, open Shan Shui again from Applications or Spotlight to show its settings in a window.

Shape the landscape

Use Speed to choose the drift, and Pause drift to hold a view. Zoom, Mountains, Peak height, Distant peaks and Boats change the composition. Terrain changes repaint the scene. New Landscape starts a different painting.

Choose a named palette or use the Ink and Paper color pickers. A checkmark identifies the selected preset.

Power and motion

Pause on battery power is enabled by default. Turn it off if you want motion while unplugged. Drift also pauses while the desktop is hidden. When Reduce Motion is enabled in System Settings → Accessibility → Display, the landscape stays still; your chosen speed is remembered.

Match system wallpaper

This option uses a still of the painting as the Mac's wallpaper to help the transition back from full-screen apps. Turning it off or quitting Shan Shui restores the previous wallpaper image when available.

macOS does not expose all dynamic or aerial wallpaper settings through its public image API. Restoring an image may not restore its animated mode. Other Spaces may retain a still until they are visited; check System Settings → Wallpaper if you want to choose a different background.

Launch at login

Enable Launch at login in settings. If macOS asks for approval, use System Settings → General → Login Items. This is optional.

Reset or quit

Reset returns the painting controls to their defaults. Quit stops the app and attempts to restore the wallpaper image. No account is needed.

Contact support

For help, email support@shan-shui-wallpaper.app. Include your macOS version, Shan Shui version, number of displays and the steps that led to the issue. Do not include private files or personal details.