v2.1.0 is out. This is a meaningful update — not just bug fixes, but new features that make the duck feel more alive and more reactive to what's happening on your computer. Here's everything that changed.
New: Music Detection
The headline feature of v2.1. Desktop Duck now detects when Spotify or YouTube Music is actively playing and reacts accordingly. Your duck gets a bit more animated when the music's on — subtle bobbing, a little more energy in how it moves around the screen.
This was one of the most requested features since launch. No data about what you're playing is collected — the duck just knows music is happening and acts accordingly.
- Music detection: Spotify and YouTube Music support
- Two new hats: Boater Hat and Beanie (bringing the total to 8)
- Alt+C Easter egg (we won't say more)
- Duck now shows a subtle "sleeping" animation rather than freezing in place
New Hats: Boater and Beanie
v2.1 adds two new hats, bringing the full hat count to 8. The Boater Hat is a straw flat-brimmed hat with a red stripe — very nautical, very distinguished. The Beanie is a cosy blue knitted cap for when things get cold (metaphorically, since your monitor doesn't have a thermostat).
Both hats are available immediately from the control panel. No unlock required.
- Drag physics overhauled — the duck now settles more naturally when released
- Reduced CPU usage during idle periods by approximately 40%
- Control panel opens faster on lower-end systems
- System tray icon is now higher resolution on Windows 11
- Auto-sleep trigger is now more reliable — won't accidentally trigger during slow typing
Physics Improvements
The drag physics have been completely overhauled. In v2.0, releasing the duck after a fast drag could cause it to slide unpredictably across the screen. In v2.1, the settling physics feel much more satisfying — there's a natural deceleration and a small bounce when it comes to rest. Much better.
Performance Fixes
CPU usage during idle has been cut by around 40% on most systems. If you leave the duck in auto-sleep, it now uses almost no CPU at all. On laptops, this should make a measurable difference to battery life over a full workday.
The control panel was also rewritten internally to open faster on lower-end systems. On older machines it previously took 1–2 seconds to appear; it should now be nearly instant.
- Fixed duck occasionally getting stuck in the corner of the screen on multi-monitor setups
- Fixed auto-sleep triggering during slow typing (now only triggers on true inactivity)
- Fixed music detection occasionally not resetting after closing Spotify
- Fixed control panel sometimes appearing off-screen on high-DPI displays
- Fixed rare crash on macOS when switching user accounts while the app was running
What's Coming Next
Work is already underway on v2.2. Planned features include more hat options (community suggestions welcome on GitHub), improved free roam pathfinding so the duck interacts more naturally with the edges of the screen, and possible support for additional platforms.
If you've been enjoying Desktop Duck, a small donation goes a long way toward making these updates happen faster. It's a one-person project and every bit of support counts.