The nine background sources
1. Curated — six hand-picked photos, no API key needed
Pinodock ships with six curated high-resolution photos: Mountain Lake, Forest Path, Ocean Coast, Desert Dunes, City Lights, and Northern Sky. These are served from Picsum Photos' deterministic CDN — the same seed always maps to the same photo, so they load instantly and reliably. No API key, no account, no cost.
2. Daily — a new photo every day, automatically
The daily source picks a different photo every 24 hours. Open a new tab today and you'll see one image; open one tomorrow and it'll be a different one. Good for people who want variety without having to pick.
3. Unsplash — search millions of photos by keyword
Connect your free Unsplash API key and search from the largest free-to-use photography library in the world. Type "minimal workspace", "autumn forest", or "brutalist architecture" and Pinodock fetches and caches a set of matching photos, cycling through them on new opens. Requires a free API key from unsplash.com/developers.
4. GIPHY — animated GIF backgrounds
For users who want motion — abstract loops, nature animations, art pieces — GIPHY mode connects to GIPHY's library via a free API key. Search by keyword, preview the result, and set it. Animated backgrounds are set to a low enough framerate that they don't distract during focus work.
5. Gradient — two-color linear gradient
Pick any two colors and Pinodock renders a smooth linear gradient across the full viewport. A color picker and direction control give you full creative freedom without needing an image at all. Popular choice for minimalists.
6. Solid color — flat fill
A single flat color, nothing else. Some users prefer this for distraction-free focus: a deep navy, a warm off-white, or a dark charcoal that lets the clock and content pop.
7. URL — paste any image link
Have an image hosted somewhere — Unsplash direct link, a personal website, a CDN — paste the URL and it becomes your background. The image is fetched each time and cached locally so subsequent loads are instant.
8. Single file — upload one image from your device
Choose a photo from your computer and Pinodock stores it in local extension storage. It never leaves your device, never gets uploaded anywhere. Works offline.
9. Collection — rotate through a local folder
Select a folder of images and Pinodock cycles through them on each new tab open. Great for a curated personal library — travel photos, artwork, screenshots you've collected — where you want a rotating gallery of your own images.
What stays consistent across all modes
Regardless of which background source you use, Pinodock applies a consistent dark overlay that keeps the clock, focus input, and status pills legible. The search bar uses a solid (not transparent) background so it's always readable against busy photos. You can adjust overlay intensity in Settings → Appearance.