Kernel Rain — Support

Setup, customization, troubleshooting, and compatibility information for Kernel Rain.

Getting Started

Open Kernel Rain on your Mac.
Select Settings to customize speed, density, trails, color, background, and effects.
Choose Full Screen when the preview looks the way you want.
Press Escape or use Control-Command-F to leave full screen.

Customizing the Rain

Fall speed: Changes the overall downward motion while every stream keeps its own natural variation.
Density: Controls how many streams appear across the screen.
Glowing trails: Enables or disables luminous tracers behind the leading symbol.
Trail length and brightness: Shapes how far each tracer extends and how strongly it glows.
Column variance: Increases or reduces differences in stream size, speed, rhythm, and tracer intensity.
Color and effects: Choose a palette and add head glow, analog flicker, or micro-glitches.

Current-Screen Background

Choose Current screen under Background to place the rain over a dimmed snapshot of the display. macOS will ask for Screen Recording permission. Kernel Rain processes the snapshot locally, keeps it only in memory while needed, and never transmits it.

If the background stays black: Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen Recording, allow Kernel Rain, then quit and reopen the app. You can always use Pure black without this permission.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Kernel Rain need an account or internet connection?

No. The effect and settings run entirely on your Mac.

Where are my settings stored?

Preferences are saved locally inside Kernel Rain's sandboxed app container.

How do I reset the settings?

Open Settings, return the controls to the values you prefer, and choose Save. Removing the app's sandbox container also clears all saved preferences.

Is this a system Screen Saver module?

The Mac App Store edition is a sandboxed full-screen app. It does not install a separate .saver plug-in into System Settings.

Compatibility

Kernel Rain requires macOS 14 or later and runs natively on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs.

Contact Support

Email mikefifield@gmail.com with a description of the issue, your macOS version, and your Mac model. We typically respond within 24 hours.