OTW Desktop: the website you need, across your whole desktop

The core idea: a desktop that keeps you informed

A desktop often holds a few files and folders, with wallpaper filling the remaining area. Meanwhile, checking important information means finding a CRM page, a report or an application status in a browser. OTW Desktop makes that unused space useful.

Open a website across the entire desktop, enable interaction, scroll to the section you check every day and hide ads, unwanted blocks and buttons. The screen works for your task: a large report, application table, schedule or project board. macOS icons remain available in wallpaper mode; move them where they do not obstruct the data when needed.

The website completely replaces the wallpaper. When unwanted blocks are hidden, the space around the data shows the website’s own background, not the old desktop picture. This is a live web page, not a screenshot. Ordinary windows sit above it; reveal the desktop to see it fully.

Use an existing site or create your own page with AI, choosing the content and designing it for the full screen from the start. OTW Desktop can display that interface too. Your page determines the content; the app gives it a home on the desktop.

Three examples of what you can keep on the desktop

The mockups below illustrate the arrangement, not built-in app widgets. In each example one website fills the entire desktop background, with unwanted elements hidden. Clear areas show the website’s background, not the old wallpaper. The remaining content’s appearance and position depend on the page itself.

Your own interface: design it, build it with AI and make it your desktop

Design the desktop around your day. Tell an AI what you want to see: a schedule, tasks, project progress, a timer and notes. Build a full-screen web page with its help, choosing the layout, sizes and colours, then open its address in OTW Desktop. Your own working interface becomes your wallpaper. This is another practical use for vibe coding: a page you create becomes part of your everyday workspace.

Analytics: keep traffic and enquiries in view

Every morning you open the same report: visitors, enquiries, traffic sources and top pages. Put it on your desktop, scroll to the report and hide what gets in the way. A large chart and tables use the screen area, so revealing the desktop brings the figures into view. Data updates follow the service’s own rules; scheduled page reloading is available when needed.

A public-service portal: keep important statuses

If you regularly check applications or notices on a public-service portal, keep the relevant section visible and hide the service catalogue and other navigation. Enable interaction when you need to reply or open details. Sign-in and access to the section must be checked on the particular portal.

Wallpaper until you need to interact

The app has two modes. In wallpaper mode the web page ignores clicks and desktop icons stay above it. You can use files on the desktop without accidentally following links in the background.

To scroll the page, choose a date range or press a button, enable Interactive (accept clicks) in the app menu. The page moves above desktop icons and accepts mouse and keyboard input. Turn the option off when finished to return it to wallpaper mode. You decide when the site should respond to your actions.

Keep what matters and hide the rest

First enable Interactive (accept clicks) and scroll to the section you need. Ads, unwanted buttons, a header, sidebar or large footer may take up space when you only need one section. Under Clean Up Page, choose Pick Elements to Hide and select the elements you want to remove from view.

This affects only the page displayed in OTW Desktop; the website itself stays unchanged. Undo Last Hidden restores the most recent selection, while Restore All Elements brings everything back. The app saves hidden elements by host and reapplies them on the next load, so cleanup may also affect other pages on that host.

This changes the presentation, not the underlying content. If the website owner changes its markup, you may need to select elements again. Hide only things you can remove without making the page confusing or unusable.

Before cleanup

After cleanup

Place icons where they do not obstruct the data

After cleaning up the page, turn off Interactive (accept clicks). The page stops accepting clicks and your desktop icons sit above it again. Drag files and folders as usual into places where they do not cover the information you kept.

The useful page takes the main space. A few folders can occupy a small clear area without reserving a whole part of the screen. The website determines block sizes and positions: hiding elements may move their neighbours, but the app does not automatically enlarge or rearrange them. With your own page, you can design the layout for your monitor from the start.

Dimming and reloading at your pace

A white website filling the screen can be too bright as a background. Dim Page adds a darkening overlay, from off to 90% in steps of 10%. You do not have to change the website’s theme; the setting affects its appearance inside the app.

Auto Reload can refresh the page every 1, 5, 15 or 60 minutes, or stay off. Reload handles a one-off refresh. This reloads the page rather than guaranteeing real-time data: freshness still depends on the service, and unsaved form input may be lost. Choose an interval that fits the task, especially for a heavy page or one used for entering data.

Controlled from the macOS menu bar

OTW Desktop lives in the menu bar without a separate Dock icon. Open the globe menu, choose Change URL…, paste an address and press Apply. The app adds https:// if no protocol is specified. Dimming, reloading and interaction are configured in the same menu.

The address and main settings persist between launches. Each connected display gets its own window showing the same selected page. The current version uses one shared address rather than a different website for every monitor.

The app targets macOS 13 and later. Launch at Login can start it when you sign in; this requires running it as an .app bundle, for example from Applications. The current interface is in English, and the menu names here match the app.

What to know before using it

OTW Desktop uses the web-rendering engine built into macOS. It is a separate environment: being signed in to a service in your regular browser does not mean you are signed in inside the app. A website that requires authentication will show its login screen first. Compatibility with a particular service needs to be checked individually.

An online page needs a network connection. Its scripts, animations and video still consume resources: a heavy dashboard on several displays does not become free for the processor just because it is wallpaper. For everyday use, choose a simple page and a moderate reload interval.

For us, OTW Desktop is an example of a small app built around a specific habit: making an existing tool more convenient. We can approach your workflow in the same way, starting with something you find yourself repeating every day.