HexCodeClock

HexCodeClock is a macOS Screensaver that displays the current time as a hex color code, with the background color changing based on the time.

The idea is, that time would be formatted as HHmmss, but in 24-hour format. If we take that, turn it into a string, and run it though NSColor as hex, we get our HexCodeClock!

For example:

• It is currently 3:17:23pm.
• We take that in 24-hour time, as 15:17:23
• Remove the colons: 151723
• Add a pound sign so the time becomes a hexcolor: #151723

Version

2.0 - Updated for macOS 26 (Tahoe) compatibility

Features

• Swift 5.0
• San Francisco font support
• Light and Dark mode support
• macOS 14.0+ compatibility
• Smooth color transitions

Requirements

• macOS 14.0 or later
• Xcode 16.0 or later (for building from source)

Installation

Option 1: Install from built .saver file

1. Download the latest HexCodeClock.saver file
2. Double-click the .saver file to install
3. Go to System Settings > Lock Screen to preview and enable the screensaver

Option 2: Build from source

1. Open HexCodeClock.xcodeproj in Xcode 16.0+
2. Build the project (⌘+B)
3. In the Products folder, right-click on HexCodeClock.saver and click: Show in Finder
4. Double-click the .saver file to install
5. Go to System Settings > Lock Screen to preview and enable the screensaver

What's New in v2.0

• Complete rewrite using modern Swift syntax
• Updated for macOS 26 (Tahoe) compatibility
• Added San Francisco font support
• Implemented light/dark mode awareness
• Improved performance and reliability
• Updated minimum system requirement to macOS 14.0

Development

This project was originally written using Xcode 7.0.1 and Swift 2.0, and has been completely modernized for current macOS versions.

License

MIT