5 ways to make Windows look like macOS

Windows 11 is arguably the best operating system out there for a number of reasons. Whether it’s app and hardware compatibility or overall ease of use, there are certain things that make Windows a better experience for a lot of users.

But if you’re someone coming from macOS, it’s totally reasonable to want a more familiar experience, so making Windows look a bit more like macOS is not a bad thing. Heck, even if you’re already a Windows user, maybe you like the look of macOS overall and you want to try it out.

No matter the case, we’re here to help you out with a few ways you can tweak your Windows 11 PC to look much more like a Mac. Let’s get started.

5 Download the macOS cursors

No detail is too small

One of the smaller details you can change to look more like macOS is the mouse cursor. It’s probably not the most impactful change, but hey, if you have that preference why shouldn’t you be able to do it? And thankfully, DeviantArt user antiden has you covered with this pack of macOS cursors that’s bound to fit all kinds of needs. This pack comes with a variety of cursors based on different versiosn of macOS and includes options for cursors with or without shadows for each one, on top of including multiple sizes as well.

Simply download the .zip file and extract it, and then navigate into the folder that has the options you want. Once you’re in there, right-click the install.inf file and choose Install from the menu. The cursor customization dialog will open, and all you need to do is click OK to apply the cursor you just downloaded.

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If you want to change it back, simply hop into the Control Panel and find your mouse pointer settings to change back to the default Windows theme.

4 Get a macOS wallpaper

They look pretty good

First things first, let’s start with the desktop background, which is one of the most noticeable elements of a computer. You’re going to want to download the wallpapers for macOS, and there are plenty to choose from. You can try your luck downloading the wallpapers manually from websites such as WallpaperCave, but if you want the best way top do it, it’s probably using the WinDynamicDesktop app.

This is an app available on the Microsoft Store for free, and it’s main purpose is bringing the macOS dynamic desktop wallpapers to Windows. That means not only do you get the same images used on macOS, but you can actually ahve the desktop change for daytime and nighttime automatically just like on a Mac.

Once you’ve downloaded WinDynamicDesktop (the link is below), you can choose from any of the themes available and click Download, then click Apply when you’re ready. That’s all it takes, but make sure you don’t ahve other wallpaper apps that might be conflicting with it.

3 Replace the taskbar with the Dock

You’ll feel right at home

One of the most notorious differences between macOS and Windows is the difference between the Windows taskbar and the Dock on the Mac side of things. They may seem similar at first, but there are definitely some big differences in terms of looks and behavior. There are a few solutions for this kind of thing, and one of the more popular ones seems to be MyDockFinder, but that’s a paid app, and you may not be willing to pay up, which is totally understandable.

If you want a free alternative, a great option is the WinStep Nexus Dock. It won’t look exactly like the macOS Dock, but with a ton of customization options available, you can make it fairly close to what you want. This app actually seems quite similar to ObjectDock, a Stardock app we’ve reviewed in the past, but it’s free and has way more customization options for the main dock.

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Simply download and extract the Nexus Dock installer from the link below, and then run the installer to install the app. You can then use the Nexus icon on the dock to configure how it should look. While you can play around with it, here are some configurations we recommend to make the dock feel a little more like macOS:

1. In the Content tab, un-check the box labeled Show dock control icon.
2. In the Position tab, change the Attach dock to which screen edge? dropdown menu to Bottom.
3. In the Appearance tab, change the How much of each icon should be reflected? slider to 0%.
4. In the same tab, click Dock Transparency and set the slider to around 70%.
5. In the Effects tab, set the following:
   1. Mouseover effect: None
   2. Launch effect: Bounce
   3. Attention effect: Jump
   4. Delete effect: None
6. In the Sounds tab, check the Disable all sounds box.
7. In the General tab, check the Hide Windows taskbar box under the Desktop section.

This should be about as close as you can get to the standard macOS experience. Unless you want to pay for MyDockFinder, this is probably your best option.

It’s not the same, but it’s close

For the last two parts of this guide, we’re going to use Rainmeter. This is a very popular and powerful customization app for Windows that offers a ton of modding options developed by the community. There are a few mods that are made to imitate macOS features, including the iconic menu bar.

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Now, you can’t truly replicate the menu bar from macOS because it’s designed to integrate with each and every app in a way that Windows just isn’t set up to do. But you can have a fully customizable menu bar with the options you want for convenient access. Here’s how you set it up:

1. Download and install Rainmeter from the official website (linked below).
2. Now, download Droptop Four, the mod that will enable the macOS-style menu bar.
3. Run the file you downloaded and the Rainmeter installer will set up Droptop Four.
4. Go through the initial setup and choose the options that suit your tastes. If you’re trying to get the closest look to macOS Sequoia, you’ll want to choose the macOS Sequeia theme when prompted, and also set Droptop to always show on screen.
5. Once the setup process completes, you’ll have a bar at the top of your screen with shortcuts to all kinds of system features, including a clock, Wi-Fi indicator, volume slider, and shortcuts to your apps.

You can customize Droptop Four with more folders, too, so you have access to all kinds of content much more quickly. It won’t completely match what macOS does, but in some cases, it’s even more useful.

Rounding things out

The final aspect of macOS you may want to bring over to Windows is the widgets. The latest version of macOS nbotably brought widgets directly to the desktop, but thankfully, this was already available on Windows thanks to the Big Sur set of skins for Rainmeter. For this one, we’re going to assume you already have Rainmeter installed from the steps above, so simply do the following:

1. Download the Big Sur RC1 skin set from DeviantArt (made by user fediaFedia).
2. Run the installer file to install the Rainmeter skins.
3. Once you finsih setting up, all the default widgets will automatically be added to your screen, and you can drag them around wherever you prefer.

Keep in mind that if you’ve already set up Droptop, installing this skin may break the menu bar. You’ll need to open the Rainmeter settings and load the Droptop skin again to restore it.

Feel at home on your new Windows PC

Changing to a new operating system can be complicated, but thankfully, the myriad of tools developed by fans of macOS make it that much easier to feel at home on Windows if you’re thinking about making the switch. Some of these tools can have an impact on performance (Rainmeter in particularly can get fairly heavy), but it’s worth it to make the experience more familiar. Give these tools a shot and see how much better Windows 11 feels to you.

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