[UnfoldMyMac](https://unfoldmymac.com/)The story# I only meant to make one effect.

It started with an animation on a folding phone. It became UnfoldMyMac: live wallpapers and playful desktop effects for your Mac.

Watching the iPhone Duo open gave me an idea. My MacBook had a hinge, too. What could happen on its screen when I moved it?

[The iPhone Duo inspiration](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/09/apple-unveils-iphone-duo/)[Watch the story 2:30](https://unfoldmymac.com/#the-film)

![Comic illustration: a maker looks from a phone to his MacBook as an idea takes shape.](https://unfoldmymac.com/media/story/the-spark.webp)
The sparkWhat if my Mac did that?Follow the idea[The experiment](https://unfoldmymac.com/#the-experiment)[A bigger idea](https://unfoldmymac.com/#a-bigger-idea)[See it in action](https://unfoldmymac.com/#the-film)

![Comic illustration: the maker lowers his MacBook lid, and purple curtains move across the desktop.](https://unfoldmymac.com/media/story/the-experiment.webp)
The experimentMove the lid. The desktop follows.

## So I tried it on my MacBook.

The first experiment was blur: the iPhone Duo frost, redrawn in Metal for a laptop hinge. Lower the lid and the desktop blurs. Lift it and everything comes back. Stop halfway, and the effect stops with you.

Then came curtains, flowing ribbons, artwork, and characters peeking over my windows. One effect had become a collection.

[Meet the 13 lid effects](https://unfoldmymac.com/showcase/#curtains)

## Then I left the lid open.

I started making scenes that could keep moving while I worked. A race circuit behind my windows. A little city built from a GitHub profile. A factory that follows coding activity.

That became the live wallpaper collection. Choose a scene, leave it running, and get on with your day.

The desktop had plans of its own.

![Comic illustration: race cars, curtains, windows, and a mischievous character spill from the maker's growing collection of ideas.](https://unfoldmymac.com/media/story/a-bigger-idea.webp)
A bigger ideaOkay, a few more.

## A few things now living on my desktop.

These are previews from the app. Pick one to see it move.

[Explore all 10 wallpapers](https://unfoldmymac.com/showcase/#pulse)

![Lights Out wallpaper with sample data](https://unfoldmymac.com/media/lights-out.webp)

Live wallpaper

### Lights Out

An open-wheel car, a flowing circuit, and a five-light countdown. Session counters, not live race telemetry.

App render · Sample data

![GitHub After Hours wallpaper with sample data](https://unfoldmymac.com/media/github-after-hours.webp)

Live wallpaper

### GitHub After Hours

Public repositories, followers, and push events become a floating city.

App render · Sample data

![Codex Foundry wallpaper with sample data](https://unfoldmymac.com/media/codex-foundry.webp)

Live wallpaper

### Codex Foundry

A 3D accelerator assembles around local Codex activity.

App render · Sample data

## Here’s what that became.

The whole story, the collection, and five demos filmed on a real MacBook.

23 ways to change the scene.13 lid effects. 10 live wallpapers.

![UnfoldMyMac film: a race-car wallpaper, a miniature city, and a curtain effect. Your Mac. More fun.](https://unfoldmymac.com/media/story/film-cover.webp)

02:30 · Sound on

The full story  Real footage · 4K on YouTube

### Give Your Mac a New Look

A Mac app with animations that follow your lid and live wallpapers for your desktop. See where it started, choose a look, then watch it on a real MacBook.

[Watch on YouTube ↗](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wAaLwu-msc)

Jump to[Read transcript](https://unfoldmymac.com/media/real-life/reel-transcript.txt)

## Find your kind of desktop.

Start with a look you like. Change it when you feel like it.

[Get the Mac app](https://unfoldmymac.com/download/)[Browse the collection](https://unfoldmymac.com/showcase/)

## Have an idea for the next scene?

UnfoldMyMac is open source. Share an idea, report a bug, or make something of your own.

[Share it on GitHub](https://github.com/satyajiit/UnfoldMyMac/issues/new/choose)[Guide for contributors](https://github.com/satyajiit/UnfoldMyMac/blob/main/MacDuo/DEVELOPING.md)

## From the sketchbook

The three comic scenes were created for the UnfoldMyMac film. The wallpaper previews are rendered by the app with sample data.

[Read the original story](https://github.com/satyajiit/UnfoldMyMac/blob/main/README.md)[Artwork & credits](https://github.com/satyajiit/UnfoldMyMac/blob/main/NOTICE)

iPhone, iOS and Mac are trademarks of Apple Inc. UnfoldMyMac is an independent app from Matterward Labs, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Apple.

Canonical: https://unfoldmymac.com/story/