Papyrus review

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Papyrus is a free, open-source Linux desktop application for setting video files as animated wallpapers on Wayland compositors. It is aimed at users who want a straightforward way to manage video backgrounds, especially across multiple monitors. The application supports MP4, WebM, MKV, AVI, and MOV files, and it can assign different wallpapers to individual displays. Although built primarily for the COSMIC desktop, it also supports other Wayland environments.

Its strongest area is video rotation and monitor-level control. Papyrus can scan folders, generate video thumbnails, and organize wallpapers into playlists that rotate automatically in either random or sequential order. Each monitor has Fit, Fill, and Stretch scaling options, giving users control over how videos occupy the available space. Start-on-login support makes the wallpaper manager suitable for regular desktop sessions, while built-in self-update checks help maintain the application without adding a separate update workflow.

COSMIC users get additional visual integration through automatic accent-color extraction and dark/light mode switching based on wallpaper brightness. Those features are COSMIC-specific, while the core wallpaper functionality depends on a Wayland compositor and mpvpaper. Papyrus is a strong fit for Linux users who want free, open-source video wallpaper rotation with multi-monitor support and limited configuration overhead. Users seeking interactive wallpapers, performance controls, or broader platform coverage should choose a different type of desktop wallpaper application.

Papyrus pros and cons

• Where it wins
  • Supports MP4, WebM, MKV, AVI, and MOV video wallpapers
  • Assigns wallpapers per monitor with Fit, Fill, and Stretch options
  • Rotates playlists automatically in random or sequential order
• Where it doesn't
  • Requires Linux with a Wayland compositor
  • Built primarily for COSMIC, with some features limited to COSMIC
  • Does not include interactive wallpapers or performance controls

Papyrus fact sheet, pricing and score →

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Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update