Bug 513876 - Day/Night switching doesn't work for GIF wallpapers even though wallpaper works correctly
Summary: Day/Night switching doesn't work for GIF wallpapers even though wallpaper wor...
Status: CONFIRMED
Alias: None
Product: plasmashell
Classification: Plasma
Component: Day/night schedule (other bugs)
Version First Reported In: 6.5.4
Platform: Arch Linux Linux
: NOR normal
Target Milestone: 1.0
Assignee: Plasma Bugs List
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2025-12-27 13:44 UTC by Erwin Iosef
Modified: 2026-04-20 04:10 UTC (History)
5 users (show)

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:


Attachments
Day/Night wallpaper badge in Orionids (27.38 KB, image/png)
2025-12-30 19:17 UTC, Erwin Iosef
Details
No badge on user generated GIF wallpaper (49.82 KB, image/png)
2025-12-30 19:20 UTC, Erwin Iosef
Details
Sample wallpaper (1020.92 KB, application/zip)
2025-12-30 19:28 UTC, Erwin Iosef
Details
systemd{timer,service} files for automatic GIF wallpaper switching (1.33 KB, application/zip)
2026-01-17 04:35 UTC, Erwin Iosef
Details

Note You need to log in before you can comment on or make changes to this bug.
Description Erwin Iosef 2025-12-27 13:44:11 UTC
I've had this for quite some time, 'Switch dynamic wallpaper' settings work perfectly fine for both light and dark GIF wallpapers except when setting 'Based on Day/Night cycle`, the function seems to work fine for PNG images but not GIF for some reason even though they work perfectly fine as a wallpaper.

You can test this with any two GIF wallpapers, refer to https://www.reddit.com/r/kde/comments/1ohsvov/plasma_65s_daynight_wallpapers_how_to/ on making a user-directory installation.
Comment 1 TraceyC 2025-12-30 17:17:35 UTC
Thanks for filing this bug report. Unfortunately there isn't enough information for us to try to figure out what's happening. Please add information about your system as requested in the bug report template. Copy and paste this with the information into a new comment.

SUMMARY


STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. 
2. 
3. 

OBSERVED RESULT


EXPECTED RESULT


SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Windows: 
macOS: 
(available in the Info Center app, or by running `kinfo` in a terminal window)
Linux/KDE Plasma: 
KDE Plasma Version: 
KDE Frameworks Version: 
Qt Version: 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION


Thanks for your understanding
Comment 2 Erwin Iosef 2025-12-30 19:16:01 UTC
Yeah, sorry I forget that part always :)

Steps:
1) Get any 2 GIF wallpapers: https://imgur.com/gallery/pixel-art-gif-wallpaper-dump-dKalV
2) Follow instructions here: https://www.reddit.com/r/kde/comments/1ohsvov/plasma_65s_daynight_wallpapers_how_to/
  to create the directory structure of Day/Night wallpaper in "~/.local/share/wallpapers", you can use the Orionids wallpaper structure in "/usr/share/wallpapers/Next" for reference.
3) After creating the wallpaper, apply it in systemsettings, make sure 'Switch dynamic wallpaper' is set to "Based on the day/night cycle".

4) Plasma will set only the "image_dark" wallpaper across all times, but proper switching of 'light' and 'dark' images will happen when you set 'Switch dynamic wallpaper' to "Based on whether Plasma style is light or dark" or "Always use light/dark variant".

Interesting part: If you replace the GIF wallpapers for PNG/JPGs, they will switch properly with "Based on the day/night cycle" setting and they will also have the Day/Night badge as you can see with Orionids, where you can't with GIFs for some reason.

Operating System: Arch Linux 
KDE Plasma Version: 6.5.4
KDE Frameworks Version: 6.21.0
Qt Version: 6.10.1
Comment 3 Erwin Iosef 2025-12-30 19:17:33 UTC
Created attachment 188087 [details]
Day/Night wallpaper badge in Orionids
Comment 4 Erwin Iosef 2025-12-30 19:20:58 UTC
Created attachment 188088 [details]
No badge on user generated GIF wallpaper
Comment 5 Erwin Iosef 2025-12-30 19:28:51 UTC
Created attachment 188089 [details]
Sample wallpaper

Here's a sample of Day/Night GIF wallpapers for testing, note that the images inside are not mine in any respect.
Comment 6 Erwin Iosef 2025-12-30 19:29:31 UTC
Place them inside ~/.local/share/wallpapers/
Comment 7 Vlad Zahorodnii 2026-01-12 10:29:48 UTC
Animated images are not supported intentionally due to the technical reasons.
Comment 8 Nate Graham 2026-01-12 15:05:42 UTC
Is this mentioned anywhere in the UI when the user picks an animated wallpaper? If not, that probably needs to happen so the limitation is clear, and we don't get bug reports about. it :)
Comment 9 Vlad Zahorodnii 2026-01-12 21:38:46 UTC
(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #8)
> Is this mentioned anywhere in the UI when the user picks an animated
> wallpaper? If not, that probably needs to happen so the limitation is clear,
> and we don't get bug reports about. it :)

You should(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #8)
> Is this mentioned anywhere in the UI when the user picks an animated
> wallpaper? If not, that probably needs to happen so the limitation is clear,
> and we don't get bug reports about. it :)

You shouldn't see the lighttable icon in the top right corner. To be fair, perhaps there could be a better way to communicate that :D
Comment 10 Erwin Iosef 2026-01-13 19:10:52 UTC
It's a damn shame, of course one could automate the wallpaper switching themselves via cronjob/systemd timer running 'plasma-apply-wallpaperimage /path/to/gif' , but that means the day/night cycle is effectively useless for me, any way to disable it?
Comment 11 Erwin Iosef 2026-01-17 04:35:32 UTC
Created attachment 188609 [details]
systemd{timer,service} files for automatic GIF wallpaper switching

> one could automate the wallpaper switching themselves via cronjob/systemd timer running 'plasma-apply-wallpaperimage /path/to/gif'
Here's a systemd example for those interested.
For now I've masked the 'plasma-knighttimed' user service.
Comment 12 Erwin Iosef 2026-01-18 18:29:19 UTC
Hey Vlad is that restriction for animated images defined somewhere, in case I could remove it for myself?
Comment 13 Erwin Iosef 2026-01-18 20:00:59 UTC
Nvm I found it and I also saw the limitation you were talking about.