Is there a moon phase widget for Mac?
Apple doesn't document a moon widget for the Mac, but the Weather app shows the Moon phase, including when the next full moon is. To see the moon on your desktop, add a moon app's iPhone widget with Use iPhone widgets, or install a Mac widget app that has one.
Apple doesn't document a moon phase widget for the Mac, but the Weather app already shows the moon phase, including the next full moon, one click inside the app. To get that information onto the desktop as an actual widget, the documented route is to run a moon app on your iPhone and mirror its widget across with Use iPhone widgets, or install one of a handful of Mac apps that ship a moon widget of their own — several of which haven't been updated in years. This guide checks the Weather app, the iPhone bridge, four Mac App Store apps, and where Mac+'s own Moon widget fits, so you know exactly what each route gives you before you install anything.
Your Mac already shows the moon phase — inside the Weather app
Open the Weather app on your Mac and the moon phase is already there, even though nothing on the desktop is labeled that way. Apple's own guide documents a Moon phase detail: “View the current phase of the moon and information such as when the next full moon is.” Click it, and Apple says you can “learn more and see an interactive timeline”, then “drag the timeline to see how the moon's phase changes over time.”
That's a detail inside the app window, not a desktop widget. The same guide documents Weather widgets you can add to the desktop or Notification Center, but only for “weather conditions and forecasts in different locations” — Apple does not list a moon widget among them. That's the gap this page is about: the moon phase is one click away in Weather, and almost nothing that ranks for this search says so.
Put an iPhone moon widget on your Mac desktop
If you want an actual widget rather than a detail inside Weather, the documented route runs through your iPhone. Apple's guide to adding and customizing widgets on Mac describes a setting called Use iPhone widgets. It requires that “Your iPhone uses iOS 17 or later,” that you're signed in to the same Apple Account on both devices, and that your iPhone is near your Mac or on the same Wi-Fi network. Turn it on in System Settings > Desktop & Dock, under Widgets, then Control-click the wallpaper, choose Edit Widgets, and drag over whatever widget your iPhone app offers.
One app that fits this route is Lunar – Moon Phase & Widgets (Bjorn Jenssen): its App Store listing advertises tracking “the current moon phase, moonrise and moonset times, and upcoming Full Moon, New Moon, and Lunar Eclipse.” On the Mac App Store it is filed as “Designed for iPad,” with a separate Mac requirement of macOS 13.3 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later — but whether its widget actually appears in the Mac's own widget gallery when installed that way isn't documented by Apple or the developer. The safer bet for an iPhone-only moon widget is the bridge above: run the app on your iPhone and let Use iPhone widgets mirror it to the desktop.
Apple also flags a common snag: “When you click a widget, if you see the message ‘Open [app name] on your iPhone to continue,’ this means the app isn't installed on your Mac. You need to open the app on your iPhone to interact with it. Some third-party apps aren't available for both iPhone and Mac.” That's expected, not a bug — the widget keeps running on the iPhone the whole time.
Four moon apps you can install on a Mac, checked 24 September 2026
Beyond the iPhone bridge, four apps turn up for a moon widget search on the Mac App Store, checked 24 September 2026:
- Lunar – Moon Phase & Widgets (Bjorn Jenssen), free with in-app purchases including a “Pro Version Yearly $14.99”: version 7.0, updated 14 September 2026, rated 4.7 from 6.4K ratings. On the Mac it needs macOS 13.3 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later — no Intel.
- MoonWalk – Moon phase widget (HOCHAN LEE), free: its listing reads “Designed for iPhone. Not verified for macOS.” On the Mac it asks for macOS 11.0 and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later; version 1.0.1 dates to 17 January 2023.
- Moon Phase Gadget (Sergey Vdovenko), $0.99: a “Large Moon gadget with precise moon phase times” plus a sun gadget for sunrise and sunset. It states only “Requires macOS 10.5 or later” — version 1.4 is dated 10 February 2012, and compatibility with current macOS isn't documented.
- Hologram Desktop (IdeaPunch), free with in-app purchases (Pro at $2.99/month, $9.99, or $14.99/year): its site promises to “display the weather, date and time, moon phase, system information … directly on your desktop wallpaper,” and its widget directory lists a “Moon Phase” widget. Hologram's own page notes that “All Hologram Native Widgets are included in Hologram Pro” — so the free tier alone may not unlock it. Its App Store listing states “Requires macOS 12.0 or later”; version 1.9.0 was last updated 13 December 2022.
None of the four publishes a current, dated confirmation for macOS 26 Tahoe or macOS 27. Paying $0.99 or $14.99 for an app whose last build dates from 2012 or 2022 is a real risk — check the developer's own update history before buying.
Intel Mac or older macOS? Here's what's actually left
Chip and OS requirements narrow the list fast. Lunar and MoonWalk both ask for a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later — there's no Intel path with either. Moon Phase Gadget and Hologram Desktop don't state a chip requirement at all, but that isn't the same as a guarantee: Moon Phase Gadget last shipped in February 2012, requiring macOS 10.5 or later, and Hologram Desktop's last build is from December 2022, requiring macOS 12.0 or later. Neither developer documents whether the app still runs, or still shows a moon phase, on macOS 26 Tahoe or macOS 27.
If you're on an Intel Mac and want a stated, current requirement, Mac+ is the one entry in this comparison that names Intel directly — the next section covers exactly what that includes, and what it leaves out.
Mac+: a Moon widget in a set of twelve
Mac+ lists a Moon widget among its twelve desktop widgets — clock, date, Focus, timer, season, weekend, weather, battery, storage, memory, network and moon. Beyond that name on the list, the Mac+ site does not document what the widget displays: no phase, illumination percentage, or moonrise and moonset time is described, and none of that appears in any image on this page. Mac+ runs on macOS 13 Ventura or later, on both Apple Silicon and Intel; its free tier includes 2 of the 12 widgets (the site doesn't say which two), and unlocking all 12 is part of Pro, at €9.99 one-time or €1.99 per month with a 7-day free trial.
The moon phase on a Mac: which option to pick
| Option | Where it shows | Price | Requires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weather app (Apple) | Moon phase detail inside the app | Included | — |
| iPhone moon widget via Use iPhone widgets | Mac desktop (app runs on the iPhone) | Depends on the iPhone app | iPhone on iOS 17+, same Apple Account, nearby or same Wi-Fi |
| Lunar (Bjorn Jenssen) | iPhone/iPad/Watch app; runs on Mac as an iPad app | Free + in-app purchases | macOS 13.3+ and a Mac with Apple M1 or later |
| Hologram Desktop (IdeaPunch) | Widgets on the wallpaper; “Moon Phase” in its catalog | Free + Pro ($2.99/mo, $9.99, $14.99/yr) | macOS 12.0+; last update Dec 2022 |
| Moon Phase Gadget | Desktop gadgets | $0.99 | macOS 10.5+; last update Feb 2012 |
| Mac+ | Moon widget among 12, 3 sizes × 4 shapes | Free: 2 widgets / Pro: 12 | macOS 13+, Apple Silicon and Intel |
If tonight's phase is all you need, Weather already has it. If you want it glanced at on the desktop without opening an app, the iPhone-widget bridge is the documented, no-purchase route — provided the app you use has a widget of its own. Past that, it's a trade-off: a stated macOS 26/27 build (none of the four dedicated apps above currently claims one), a wider hardware net (Mac+ names Intel and Apple Silicon, without documenting the widget's content), or a cheap purchase last updated in 2012 (Moon Phase Gadget).
See the moon phase on your Mac, then put it on the desktop
- Open the Weather app and click the Moon phase detail to see the current phase, the next full moon and the interactive timeline.
- On your iPhone (iOS 17 or later), install a moon app that offers a widget.
- On the Mac, open System Settings > Desktop & Dock, go to Widgets and turn on Use iPhone widgets.
- Control-click the wallpaper, choose Edit Widgets, search for the moon app and drag its widget onto the desktop.
- If the widget says the app must be opened on your iPhone, that's expected — Apple says the app isn't installed on your Mac.
macOS 13 Ventura or later. Apple Silicon and Intel. Free tier: 2 of Mac+'s 12 widgets; Pro unlocks all 12.
Frequently asked questions
Does macOS have a moon phase widget?
Apple documents none. What it does have is a Moon phase detail inside the Weather app, plus separate Weather widgets for conditions and forecasts — not the moon.
How do I see tonight's moon phase on my Mac?
Open the Weather app and click the Moon phase detail. Apple says it shows the current phase, the next full moon, and an interactive timeline you can drag to see how the phase changes over time.
Can I use my iPhone's moon widget on my Mac?
Yes, if your iPhone runs iOS 17 or later, is signed in to the same Apple Account as your Mac, and is near your Mac or on the same Wi-Fi network. Turn on Use iPhone widgets in System Settings > Desktop & Dock, then add the widget through Edit Widgets.
Why does my iPhone widget ask me to open the app on my iPhone?
Apple says that message means the app isn't installed on your Mac, and that some third-party apps aren't available for both iPhone and Mac — you interact with the app on the iPhone while it displays on the Mac desktop.
Is there a moon widget for Intel Macs?
Two of the four apps checked here rule out Intel by name: Lunar and MoonWalk both require a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later. Moon Phase Gadget and Hologram Desktop don't state a chip requirement, but their last updates date to February 2012 and December 2022, so treat current macOS compatibility as unconfirmed either way.
Does Mac+ show the moon phase?
Mac+ lists a Moon widget among its 12 desktop widgets, but its site doesn't say what the widget displays — no phase, percentage, or rise and set time is documented, so this page can't confirm that either.
Keep reading
Sources
- Apple Support — View weather conditions on Mac (Moon phase detail, Weather widgets)
- Apple Support — Add and customize widgets on Mac (Use iPhone widgets)
- Lunar – Moon Phase & Widgets on the Mac App Store (Bjorn Jenssen, checked 24 September 2026)
- MoonWalk – Moon phase widget on the Mac App Store (HOCHAN LEE, checked 24 September 2026)
- Moon Phase Gadget on the Mac App Store (Sergey Vdovenko, v1.4, checked 24 September 2026)
- Hologram Desktop — official site, Moon Phase widget page (checked 24 September 2026)
- Hologram Desktop on the Mac App Store (IdeaPunch, v1.9.0, checked 24 September 2026)
- Mac+ — app facts, widgets and pricing (checked 24 September 2026)