Every major version of Mac OS X macOS has come with a new default wallpaper. As you can see, I have collected them all here.
Mac OS X & macOS names. As you can see from the list above, with the exception of the first OS X beta, all versions of the Mac operating system from 2001 to 2012 were all named after big cats. The Reverse Side of the World (世界の裏側, Sekai no Uragawa?) is the layer of the World that retains the laws of the Age of Gods, housing surviving Phantasmal Species and presumably Divine Spirits instead of people. The world where humans currently live employing the laws of physics is like a fabric that thinly extends across the surface of the planet, and underneath this fabric exists. On all Old World machines, once the Toolbox is loaded, the boot procedure is the same. The Toolbox does a memory test, enumerates Mac OS devices it knows about (this varies from model to model), and either starts the onboard video (if present) or the option ROM on a NuBus or PCI video card.
While great in their day, the early wallpapers are now quite small in the world of 5K and 6K displays.
If you want to see detailed screenshots of every release of OS X, click here.
If you are looking for Mac OS 9 wallpapers, this page is for you.
Sponsored by Rogue Amoeba
Rogue Amoeba is proud to sponsor the 512 Pixels Wallpaper and Screenshot Library. We’ve been making high-quality native MacOS audio software since this was cutting edge, way back in 2002. If you need to do anything with audio on your Mac, Rogue Amoeba can help.
Visit our site to check out all our great audio utilities.
10.0 Cheetah & 10.1 Puma
The first two releases of Mac OS X shared the same wallpaper. The sweeping blue arcs and curves helped set the tone of the new Aqua interface.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.2 Jaguar
Jaguar took the same Aqua-inspired theme but added some depth and motion to things. In my head, the trails streaking across the screen were from a set of comets.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.3 Panther
While Panther inflicted Macs everywhere with Brushed Metal, its wallpaper stayed on brand, refreshing the original 10.0 image.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.4 Tiger
Many consider Tiger to be the best “classic” version of Mac OS X. While that may or may not be true, it is my favorite Aqua-inspired wallpaper.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.5 Leopard
Complete with a revised, unified user interface and shiny new Dock, 10.5 broke the Aqua mold. As such, Leopard was the first version of OS X to break from the Aqua-themed wallpaper. It ushered in the “space era” of OS X wallpapers, which was used heavily in the new Time Machine interface as well.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.6 Snow Leopard
The “no new features” mantra for Snow Leopard didn’t ban a new wallpaper, thankfully. This starscape is still one of my favorites.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.6 Snow Leopard Server
The server version of Snow Leopard came with its own unique wallpaper that is a real treat:
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.7 Lion
Lion kept up the space theme, this time showing off the Andromeda galaxy. The space nerd in me likes the idea, but the execution of this one leaves dead-last on my list of favorites.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.8 Mountain Lion
Just like Snow Leopard before it, with Mountain Lion, Apple opted to clean up and revise the existing theme as opposed to changing directions for what would be a less-impactful release of OS X.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.9 Mavericks
Mavericks marked the beginning of Apple’s “California location” naming scheme for Mac releases. The wave depicted looks as intimidating as the ones in the famous surfing location.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.10 Yosemite
Yosemite brought another UI refresh to the Mac, making things flatter and more modern. The wallpaper ushered in a new era based on … well … mountains.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.11 El Capitan
Named after a breathtaking spot in Yosemite National Park, El Capitan was a clean-up year after 10.10.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.12 Sierra
More mountains.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.13 High Sierra
Even more mountains.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.14 Mojave
No more mountains! Mojave brought a new system-wide Dark Mode, and the OS shipped with two versions of its default wallpaper to match. Users could even have macOS slowly fade between the two background images over the course of the day.
Download 5K versions:
Download 6K versions:
10.15 Catalina
macOS Catalina brought big changes to the Mac, including the ability to run iPad apps natively, opening the platform up to a much larger number of developers than ever before. Catalina shipped with multiple variants of its default wallpaper, and the ability to shift between them as time progresses throughout the day:
Download 6K versions:
Reverse World (davidporos92 D_alma) Mac Os Update
macOS Big Sur
This version of macOS is such a big deal, Apple changed the version number to 11.0. It will be the OS that brings support for Apple Silicon-powered Macs, and features a brand new design.
Reverse World (davidporos92 D_alma) Mac Os Version
Download 6K versions:
Become a member of 512 Pixels. Support projects like these, receive exclusive content in the monthly newsletter and enjoy advanced screenings of my YouTube videos.