Trio of Friends Create Missing macOS Wallpaper of Monterey Landscape

Apple bucked a trend when it unveiled macOS Monterey in June featuring an abstract wallpaper graphic, breaking an eight-year tradition of using a photo of the natural landscape that inspired the latest Calfornia-themed version name.

macos monterey
This change came as a shock to YouTuber and photographer Andrew Levitt and his friends Jacob Phillips and Taylor Gray, whom together have made recreating macOS wallpapers something of a tradition.

Once the trio of friends had come to terms with the new abstract wallpaper, they concluded that it was supposed to represent Monterey Canyon, which is deep underwater and impossible to photograph. So, instead they decided to create their own Monterey landscape, but finding the right shot came with its own problems, as their intrepid video diary explains.


After several false starts, the group eventually found an ideal location – Lone Cypress on Pebble Beach – and, using time-lapse photography, were able to create a not only a still image but also a dynamic wallpaper that changes according to the time of day.

macOS Monterey missing wallpaper

"Missing" Monterey Dynamic Wallpaper

They have since made both the still shot and the dynamic version available to download. The following steps explain how to install the dynamic version of the Monterey wallpaper.

  1. Click the Apple symbol in the menu bar and select System Preferences....
  2. Click Desktop & Screen Saver in the preferences pane.
    sys prefs

  3. Select one of the official wallpapers that come with macOS, such as "Catalina," "Big Sur," or "Monterey Graphic," and set it to Dynamic.
    2add macos dynamic wallpaper

  4. Open a Finder window and navigate to the "macOS Monterey.heic" wallpaper you downloaded.
  5. Right-click (or Ctrl-click) on the file and select Services -> Set Desktop Picture from the contextual menu.
    services

Follow the creators on Instagram: Andrew Levitt, Jacob Phillips, and Taylor Gray.

Related Forum: macOS Monterey

Top Rated Comments

jrath1 Avatar
32 months ago
I'll only use the default desktop picture provided by Apple with each Mac OS release. I'm sure Apple went through millions of desktop pictures before choosing one.

Who am I to decide to go against Apple.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ScreenSavers Avatar
32 months ago
Looks great on my iMac at my desk. I'm not really a fan of the bright abstract wallpapers.

Attachment Image
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
32 months ago
Wow! Nice job. Looks like they went all out. Craig is very big on when it comes to the wallpapers. I’m sure he will be very happy with this.

Apple why don’t you hire them? We need more wallpapers for Mac OS and IOS, please!



Attachment Image
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mikzn Avatar
32 months ago
Cool - looks good - better than the abstract IMHO

I kept expecting it every time I updated - but it never came
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rjohnstone Avatar
32 months ago

Looks like the link for the dynamic version is broken. I keep receiving a 404 error.

:confused:
https://www.vyncher.com/macos-monterey

Bottom of the page. ;)
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wilberforce Avatar
32 months ago
This is what Monterey actually looks like. Fog.



Attachment Image
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 Pro FineWoven

Apple Reportedly Stops Production of FineWoven Accessories

Sunday April 21, 2024 6:03 am PDT by
Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories, according to the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kosutami explained that Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories due to its poor durability. The company may move to another non-leather material for its premium accessories in the future. Kosutami has revealed...
Provenance Emulator

PlayStation and SEGA Emulator for iPhone and Apple TV Coming to App Store [Updated]

Friday April 19, 2024 8:29 am PDT by
The lead developer of the multi-emulator app Provenance has told iMore that his team is working towards releasing the app on the App Store, but he did not provide a timeframe. Provenance is a frontend for many existing emulators, and it would allow iPhone and Apple TV users to emulate games released for a wide variety of classic game consoles, including the original PlayStation, SEGA Genesis,...
iOS 17 All New Features Thumb

iOS 17.5 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday April 21, 2024 3:00 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 17.5 update for the iPhone includes only a few new user-facing features, but hidden code changes reveal some additional possibilities. Below, we have recapped everything new in the iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 beta so far. Web Distribution Starting with the second beta of iOS 17.5, eligible developers are able to distribute their iOS apps to iPhone users located in the EU...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces 'Let Loose' Event on May 7 Amid Rumors of New iPads

Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:11 am PDT by
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
apple vision pro orange

Apple Vision Pro Customer Interest Dying Down at Some Retail Stores

Monday April 22, 2024 2:12 am PDT by
Apple Vision Pro, Apple's $3,500 spatial computing device, appears to be following a pattern familiar to the AR/VR headset industry – initial enthusiasm giving way to a significant dip in sustained interest and usage. Since its debut in the U.S. in February 2024, excitement for the Apple Vision Pro has noticeably cooled, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On...