FAQ & Help
Answers to the most common questions about Desktop Duck, installation, and getting your duck set up.
Windows: Windows 10 or later, 64-bit processor. Desktop Duck does not support 32-bit Windows.
macOS: macOS 12 Monterey or later. Desktop Duck does NOT support macOS High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, or Big Sur — these versions lack framework features the app requires.
Both platforms require about 50MB of free disk space after installation.
No. Desktop Duck requires macOS 12 Monterey or later due to framework requirements. It will not run on High Sierra (10.13), Mojave (10.14), Catalina (10.15), or Big Sur (11).
If you're on an older Mac, you would need to update your operating system first — or check if your Mac model supports Monterey or later via Apple's compatibility list.
Yes. Free forever. No account required, no subscription, no paid tier, no premium version. Desktop Duck is completely free to download and use.
If you enjoy it, you're welcome to make a small donation to help keep development going — but there is no obligation.
No. Desktop Duck runs entirely offline. The only exception is an optional update check: when enabled, the app makes a single request to GitHub to see if a new version is available. Only your current version number is compared — no personal data is sent.
The update check can be disabled from the control panel. When disabled, the app makes zero network requests.
Desktop Duck is an independent app without a commercial code-signing certificate (these cost hundreds of dollars per year). Windows SmartScreen automatically flags apps from developers without a certificate or with limited download history.
To install: click More info in the SmartScreen dialog, then click Run anyway. Desktop Duck is completely safe — no telemetry, no tracking, no malicious code. The warning reduces as more people download the app.
macOS Gatekeeper blocks apps that aren't signed with an Apple Developer certificate (which requires a paid Apple Developer account). Desktop Duck is an indie project without one.
To open it for the first time: right-click (or Control-click) the Desktop Duck app in your Applications folder and choose Open. A dialog will appear — click Open again. macOS remembers this choice and won't ask again.
If the right-click method doesn't work, try this: go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and scroll down to the Security section. You should see a message saying Desktop Duck was blocked. Click Open Anyway.
On older macOS versions (Monterey), this setting is in System Preferences → Security & Privacy → General.
1. Download the .exe installer from the download page.
2. Double-click the downloaded file.
3. If Windows SmartScreen appears, click More info then Run anyway.
4. Follow the installation prompts (it takes about 10 seconds).
5. The duck appears on your screen immediately after installation.
Click your duck (or right-click it) to open the holographic control panel. From there you can:
• Change the body colour (8 options)
• Change the hat (8 hats)
• Rename your duck
• Toggle free roam mode
• Access settings like startup behaviour and update checks
Open the control panel by clicking your duck, then select from 8 hats: Crown, Cowboy Hat, Baseball Cap, Party Hat, Hard Hat, Combat Helmet, Boater Hat, and Beanie. You can also choose to have no hat at all.
The hat change takes effect immediately.
Yes. Press Alt+C to unlock a car. That's all we're going to say about that. Use it wisely.
If your desk (or rather, your mouse and keyboard) has been inactive for 60 seconds, the duck finds a pillow and takes a nap. This is the auto-sleep feature — it's intentional and very cute.
Click the duck to wake it up. It'll blink, stretch, and get back to wandering.
Desktop Duck lives in your system tray (the small area near the clock on your taskbar). Right-click the Desktop Duck icon in the tray to show or hide the duck instantly. The app keeps running in the background.
You can also access all settings from the tray icon without the duck being on screen.
Yes. Click and drag your duck anywhere on your screen. It has basic physics — when you release it, it settles naturally with a small bounce. You can position it in any corner, along any edge, or in the middle of your screen.
Yes. Desktop Duck detects when Spotify or YouTube Music is actively playing and reacts accordingly — the duck becomes a little more animated. It doesn't read what's playing or collect any information about your music library or listening habits.
Check your system tray — the duck is probably hidden there. Look for the Desktop Duck icon near the clock in your taskbar (you may need to click the small arrow to expand hidden tray icons). Click the icon to bring the duck back to your screen.
By default, Desktop Duck doesn't start automatically with Windows. To enable this: open the control panel (click the duck), go to Settings, and enable Start with Windows. The duck will now appear automatically each time you log in.
Go to Settings → Apps (or Add or Remove Programs on older Windows), find Desktop Duck in the list, and click Uninstall. Alternatively, there's an uninstaller in the installation folder (usually C:\Program Files\Desktop Duck).
Open your Applications folder, drag Desktop Duck to the Trash, then right-click the Trash and choose Empty Trash. That's it — Desktop Duck doesn't leave files scattered around your system.
Please report this via the bug form. Include your operating system version (e.g. Windows 11 23H2, macOS 14.4), your Desktop Duck version (shown in the About screen), and any error messages you see. Crash reports are the highest priority and get looked at first.
No. Zero. Desktop Duck collects no telemetry, no usage data, no crash reports (unless you submit one manually), and no personal information of any kind. The only network request the app ever makes is an optional update check, which only compares your installed version number against the latest release on GitHub. No identifiers are sent.
See our Privacy Policy for the full details.
Yes. Desktop Duck is a trusted, independently developed app with no hidden functionality. There is no tracking, no ads inside the app, no data collection, and no account system. The source code is available on GitHub for anyone to review.
The security warnings from Windows SmartScreen and macOS Gatekeeper are standard warnings for unsigned indie apps — not indicators of anything malicious.