Snowfall Help

Getting started

1. Open Snowfall. Look for the robin in your Mac’s menu bar. Click it and choose Settings…. Changes apply immediately and are saved automatically.
2. Choose your snowfall. Start with Speed, Amount and Size, then choose a flake style and where the snow falls.
3. Take a break. Choose Pause Snow to hide and pause the scene. Choose Resume Snow to bring it back. Opening Settings also resumes the snow so you can see your changes.

Snowfall runs from the menu bar. While Settings is open, Snowfall appears in the Dock and Command-Tab so you can switch back to it. Closing Settings removes that running entry and leaves the snow running. You can also keep Snowfall pinned in the Dock: clicking that shortcut opens Settings. Choose Quit Snowfall from the robin menu to stop the app.

Currently only supports a single display, your main display. Snowfall requires macOS 26 or later and an Apple silicon Mac.

Adjusting the scene

• Snow: Speed changes how quickly flakes fall; Amount changes how much falls; Size changes flake size; Opacity makes the snow fainter or more solid.
• Weather: Wind changes the breeze and Flurries varies the snowfall. Clear spells lets you choose Never, Occasionally or Often for breaks from falling snow; Occasionally is the default. Thawing gradually melts settled snow and loose snowballs. Set Thawing to Off to stop further melting.
• Robin: Robin visits offers Off, Occasionally, Regularly or Often. Regularly is the default. This changes the gap between visits, while each visit keeps its varied behaviour.
• Flakes: choose a single style, Mixed, or Custom… to select your own image. A square PNG with transparency works well. Snowfall saves a local copy. Colours changes the snow’s colour scheme.
• Where: Snow falls can be In Front of Windows, Behind the Active Window or On the Desktop Only. Snowdrift can be Off, In Front of the Dock, Behind the Dock or On Top of the Dock. Enable Snow settles on the active window to collect snow on its top edge.
• Animation: Animation smoothness offers Efficient, Balanced or Smooth. Balanced is the default. Choose Efficient for lower CPU and battery use, or Smooth for smoother motion.

Some desktop effects need the optional screen-recording permission.

Brushing snow and making snowballs

Move your mouse through settled snow to brush it away. Short, smooth circles gather snow into a ball; fast swipes brush it aside.

1. Start a snowball. Circle gently in settled snow on a window ledge, a drift, the Dock or a desktop item. You can also swirl in falling snow for about half a second to start a ball at the centre of the circle.
2. Grow it. Keep making smooth circles. Nearby settled snow helps it grow, but you can keep gathering falling snow when there is little around; it takes longer.
3. Carry or throw it. Stop swirling and move gently to carry a ball made in the air on the cursor tip. Flick to throw it, or click to release it.
4. Pick up a resting ball. Click it to grip it, then move left or right to roll it. Flick sideways to send it rolling freely, move upwards to lift and carry it, or click again to let go.

Building a snowman

Place a smaller snowball on a larger one to make a snowman and receive decorations. Click an accessory to pick it up and place it where you want. Picking up a snowman’s body carries its supported balls and decorations; picking up just the head separates it and its decorations from the body.

Snowballs bounce, roll and collide with each other. Loose snowballs also thaw. If swirling is difficult, slow down and make rounded circles rather than sharp zigzags. Snowfall supports up to six snowballs at once.

A visiting robin

Choose a Robin visits frequency in the Robin section of Settings. He can rest on windows, the Dock, desktop items, snowmen and their accessories, hop around, forage, preen and occasionally find a worm.

Sometimes he plays with your pointer or perches on it when it is still. Other times he may be startled and fly away. These behaviours are occasional, so moving your mouse near him will not always produce the same response. He avoids perching on a cursor hidden while you type and takes flight when you move it. Circling near a calm robin can invite him to follow your pointer with his head. Snowfall does not create new snowballs while he is chasing your pointer or watching these circles.

Keep an eye out for worms peeking out, a long tug, or a worm carried away and dropped. With screen-recording permission, he may occasionally investigate and peck at a red object on your screen.

Screen-recording permission

Snowfall uses screen-recording permission to locate desktop icons and the top of the Dock, and to let the robin spot red objects on your screen. Screen images are processed locally on your Mac and are not saved or shared. You can use Snowfall without granting this permission, with these optional effects unavailable.

Manage access in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording, or Screen & System Audio Recording, depending on your macOS version. Enable or disable Snowfall there. If macOS asks you to quit and reopen the app, do so.

Snowfall does not capture microphone or system audio for these effects. Read the privacy policy for more detail.

Troubleshooting

Need more help?

Visit Snowfall Support for contact details and what to include in a bug report.