Your first photo, in three steps.
- Add a picture. Choose Add → Add Photo in the menu bar, drag an image file onto the icon, or paste with Command-V.
- Find its place. Drag the picture to move it. Drag a corner to resize it while keeping its proportions.
- Make it yours. Open Settings for frames, shadows, tilt, and layering. Remove a picture from its menu whenever you like.
Arras lives in the menu bar. Download and installation →
Getting started
How do I put one specific photo on my desktop?
Choose Add → Add Photo in the menu bar, paste a copied image with Command-V, drag image files onto the menu bar icon, or choose Import from Photos. Arras displays the pictures you select, rather than choosing them for you.
Arras lives in the menu bar. Its ordinary photo widgets do not require Screen Recording or Accessibility permission.
How is Arras different from the macOS Photos widget?
Arras uses independent desktop windows with per-photo position, proportions, appearance, and depth. It does not use the macOS widget gallery or Apple’s fixed widget sizes.
Which Macs can run the official download?
The official DMG and ZIP support Apple Silicon and Intel Macs running macOS 14 or later. Source builds are also available; see the contributor guide for build instructions.
Is Arras free and open source?
Yes. Arras is free under the MIT License, with no subscription or account required. GitHub hosts its source and official release files.
Make it yours
Will my photo keep its original proportions?
Ordinary widgets preserve the image’s aspect ratio when resized. A slideshow using Dynamic sizing follows each image’s proportions; Fixed sizing deliberately crops each image into one stable frame. Shape masks can also hide parts of the image.
How do I move, resize, or snap a photo?
Drag an unlocked photo to move it and drag a corner to resize. Arras snaps to nearby edges and alignment guides. Hold Command to bypass snapping, or Shift to constrain movement to one axis. Photos behind desktop icons are locked; change their depth before repositioning them.
What can I change about a widget’s appearance?
Settings and the Frame Inspector provide presets, shape masks, mats, corners, borders and gradients, shadows, edge fade, and tilt. Opacity and depth are per-widget controls. Photos can sit behind desktop icons, above icons, or over application windows.
Can a photo appear only when I hover over it?
Turn on Reveal on hover for a widget. It becomes transparent until you move the pointer into its area, then returns to its chosen opacity. Its window still occupies that area; this does not make it click-through. Behind Icons prevents hover input, so a widget at that depth keeps its normal opacity. The setting is saved per widget.
Can one widget show a slideshow?
Yes. Choose Create Slideshow in the menu bar; Settings and some controls call the same photo collection a Space. This is separate from macOS desktop Spaces.
Choose on-click rotation (double-click the widget) or a timed interval, previous/next controls, and Dynamic or Fixed sizing. Changes crossfade unless Reduce Motion is enabled. The images, current selection, and per-image appearance are saved.
Controls & limits
Which media and import methods are supported?
Arras imports JPEG, PNG, HEIC, TIFF, BMP, WebP, GIF, and APNG images from files, drag-and-drop, clipboard, or the Photos picker. Optional menu commands import a PDF page or capture a screen region. GIF and APNG animations play on the desktop. Video files are not part of the shipped image import feature.
Do transparent PNGs keep their transparent background?
Yes. Transparent still images retain their alpha channel. Supported images within the size limit can keep their original bytes; when a still must be resized or re-encoded, transparency selects PNG instead of opaque JPEG. Animated GIF/APNG sources retain their animation. Keep your originals separately: a widget backup contains Arras’s stored copies.
Can I back up my desktop arrangement?
Export an .arras layout archive to keep widgets and their stored media together. Imports can merge or replace a layout; importing preferences is optional. Archives contain Arras’s managed image copies, not archival originals. Automatic layout history is not shipped.
How do update checks and installation work?
Automatic installation is enabled by default, with Daily checks. The selected frequency applies to both automatic installation and notification-only mode. Never stops scheduled checks; Check Now remains available.
Arras rechecks whether an update is due after wake or activation and retries failed automatic checks with a 15-minute minimum between attempts. Last checked records a successful check. Downloads are checksum-checked and validated before installation, with rollback if replacement fails.
Arras current shipped feature contract ↗Arras security and privacy policy ↗
Will my photos stay hidden when I share my screen?
The optional capture-exclusion setting asks macOS to exclude photo windows from screenshots and recordings. It does not cover AirPlay or HDMI mirroring. App-based hiding checks whether known conferencing or recording apps are running; it does not detect active calls or browser meetings. Check your actual sharing preview before showing sensitive photos.
Can I control Arras with the keyboard or Shortcuts?
An optional global shortcut toggles all widgets. Seven Shortcuts actions cover adding a photo, toggling or setting visibility, changing opacity, and advancing or reversing a photo Space. Settings and widget controls also have keyboard and VoiceOver support.
How do I uninstall Arras or remove a widget?
Remove an individual widget from its right-click menu or Settings. To uninstall, quit Arras and move the app to the Trash. This does not remove saved media. If you also want to delete your layouts and managed photo copies, remove ~/Library/Application Support/PhotoWidget/ after backing up anything you need.
Arras security and privacy policy ↗Arras current shipped feature contract ↗
For the full reviewed behavior contract, read Current shipped features ↗.
Before you open it
Why does macOS say it cannot verify Arras?
The current Arras build is not notarized by Apple, so macOS may show its standard Gatekeeper verification message on first launch. The message “Apple is not able to verify that it is free from malware” is expected for this distribution: it means Apple cannot verify the build, rather than reporting that malware was detected.
For the download from this website or the official yashashwi-s/Arras GitHub Release, move Arras to Applications and try opening it. After trying to open Arras, open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway. Confirm with your Mac password or Touch ID if requested, then choose Open. This is macOS confirming your decision to open Arras; the password is not shared with the app. After approval, Arras opens normally.
Arras is free and open source, its official releases are published on GitHub, and photos stay locally on your Mac. The app has no analytics or telemetry.
Apple Support: Safely open apps on your Mac ↗Official GitHub release and downloads ↗Arras security and privacy policy ↗
For permissions, network connections, local storage, and download verification, read Security & Privacy →.
Previously called Photo Widget OSX, then Tableau. Saved settings and bundle identity are retained. Browse the source ↗