Flow Documentation

Flow Documentation

Set up, rotate, and troubleshoot Flow on macOS.

Flow runs dynamic wallpapers from video, GIF, and PNG media directly from your Mac menu bar. Use this page for setup, supported media, wallpaper rotation, background recovery, Lock Screen Still, and common fixes.

Get Started Troubleshooting Back to Documentation

Getting Started

Flow lives in the menu bar and gives you fast wallpaper controls without opening a full desktop interface.

  • Open Flow from your Applications folder.
  • Click the Flow icon in the menu bar to open the control panel.
  • Accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy before first use.
  • Use Choose Wallpaper to select a supported file from your Mac.
  • Use Stop Wallpaper any time to restore your normal desktop wallpaper.

Supported Media

Flow works best with standard local media files stored directly on your Mac.

  • Video files: .mov, .mp4, .avi, and .mpeg.
  • GIF files: .gif.
  • Image files: .png.
  • If a file is unsupported, Flow will show an alert before applying it.

Wallpaper Rotation

Flow can rotate through multiple wallpapers automatically using selected files or an entire folder.

  • Open Wallpaper Rotation from the main panel.
  • Use Choose Files or Choose Folder to build your rotation source.
  • Choose a rotation interval and optionally enable shuffle.
  • Flow skips missing or unreadable rotation files so rotation can continue.
  • If a folder changes, Flow can refresh the rotation list in the background.

Settings & Info

Settings & Info includes helpful background options for startup, battery protection, and Lock Screen behavior.

  • Open at Login lets Flow start automatically when you sign in.
  • Low Battery Protection can pause video wallpaper activity at 20% while on battery.
  • Lock Screen Still can use a still image from the current wallpaper for the Lock Screen.
  • The Legal section shows whether the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy have been accepted.

Automatic Recovery

Flow includes background checks that help keep wallpapers running smoothly without extra steps.

  • Flow can reopen the last wallpaper when the app launches again.
  • If Flow opens at login, it can resume the last selected wallpaper automatically.
  • Flow checks that the saved wallpaper file still exists before trying to restore it.
  • Flow can recover playback after sleep, wake, stalls, or display changes.
  • Wallpaper videos stay muted and looped during normal playback.

Stopping & Cleanup

Flow is designed to leave your desktop clean when you stop using an active wallpaper.

  • Stop Wallpaper restores your previous desktop wallpaper or wallpaper folder.
  • Quitting Flow also restores the desktop wallpaper before the app closes.
  • Temporary Lock Screen still images are removed when they are no longer needed.
  • Flow avoids adding duplicate wallpaper or folder entries when restoring your desktop.

How to Use Flow

If you are using Flow for the first time, this is the fastest path to getting a wallpaper running.

1. Open the Flow menu Click the Flow icon in the menu bar to open the main control panel.
2. Accept the required policies On first launch, accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy before using wallpaper controls.
3. Choose a wallpaper Use Choose Wallpaper to select a supported video, GIF, or PNG file from your Mac.
4. Configure rotation if needed Open Wallpaper Rotation to load multiple files or a folder and choose the timing behavior.
5. Adjust background settings Open Settings & Info to manage Open at Login, Low Battery Protection, and Lock Screen Still.
6. Stop or relaunch later Use Stop Wallpaper to restore your normal desktop. If Flow opens again later, it can resume the last selected wallpaper if the file still exists.

Lock Screen Still

Lock Screen Still creates a temporary still image from the current wallpaper and uses it for the Lock Screen. When you turn the setting off, stop the wallpaper, or quit Flow, Flow restores your previous wallpaper and removes temporary still files.

  • For video wallpapers, Flow uses a still frame from the current media.
  • For image wallpapers, Flow can use the selected image directly.
  • During wallpaper rotation, the Lock Screen Still can update with the active wallpaper.

Low Battery Protection

Low Battery Protection helps reduce activity when your Mac is running low on battery. When enabled, Flow can pause video wallpaper activity at 20% while on battery and resume when conditions improve.

Troubleshooting

  • If a wallpaper does not start, confirm the file is a supported local media type.
  • If the last wallpaper does not resume, make sure the original file still exists in the same location.
  • If rotation is not behaving as expected, reopen Wallpaper Rotation and confirm the interval, shuffle setting, files, or folder.
  • If one file in a rotation folder is missing or broken, Flow should skip it and continue with the next usable file.
  • If playback appears paused after sleep or wake, Flow should attempt to recover automatically. If needed, reopen Flow or choose the wallpaper again.
  • If Lock Screen Still does not update, turn the setting off and back on after choosing a supported wallpaper.
  • If Low Battery Protection pauses playback, plug in your Mac or let the battery rise above the low-battery threshold.

Need More Help?

If you still need help with Flow, return to the documentation hub to browse the rest of the Cherrium help pages.