How to Get a Desktop Pet on Your Mac
A desktop pet is a small animated character that lives on your screen, follows your mouse, and keeps you company while you work. Getting one on a Mac or MacBook takes about two minutes, and you do not need to install Java, run installers from random websites, or touch the Terminal. Here is the whole process.
Set Up a Desktop Pet in 5 Steps
1Download a desktop pet app
The safest route is the Mac App Store, where apps are sandboxed and reviewed by Apple. Open the App Store, search for NotiSprite, and click Get. It is free to download and needs macOS 14.6 or later. If you are choosing between apps first, see our comparison of the best desktop pets for Mac.
2Launch the app
Open NotiSprite from your Applications folder. Your first sprite appears on the desktop immediately. There is no account to create and no login. Everything is stored locally on your Mac.
3Choose your character
Five hand-drawn sprites are free with all features: Noti Ant, Noti Ladybird, Noti Bubble, Noti Peach, and Noti Takoyaki. Eighteen more characters, including Noti Shiba, Noti Miao, Noti Panda, Noti Witch, and the new Noti Penguin, are available as optional one-time purchases. You can also draw a custom sprite of your own with the free NotiSprite Studio app.
4Set how your pet moves
Pick the behavior that suits your workflow: follow the mouse pointer around the screen, roam the desktop freely, or sit quietly in a corner. Movement is smooth and lightweight, so it will not slow your Mac down.
5Turn on the reminders you want
This is where a desktop pet becomes more than decoration. Enable gentle reminders to drink water, stretch, breathe, and rest your eyes, plus sleep reminders, weather updates, calendar and meeting alerts, custom alarms, and a focus timer. Your pet delivers each one as a cute animated notification instead of a jarring system popup.
Tip: start with just one or two reminders, like water breaks and a sleep reminder. Gentle nudges work best when they stay rare enough to feel special.
Something not working? NotiSprite Support covers troubleshooting and common questions.
Your Desk Deserves a Pet
5 free sprites with full features. No login, no data collection, no ads.
Also on iPhone or iPad? NotiSprite works on iOS and iPadOS too, with widgets, Dynamic Island, and Live Activity support, so your companion travels with you.