placard README

The project's README from github.com/frs0n/placard. As one markdown file: README.md.

Placard app icon

Placard

Placard is an iOS app for browsing, creating, installing, and managing custom PosterBoard wallpapers.

Features

Preview

Placard's Custom wallpaper browsing screen

Requirements

The Simulator can be used to browse the catalog and develop the interface, but it cannot install or manage system wallpapers.

Building

  1. Clone this repository.
  2. Open placard.xcodeproj in Xcode.
  3. Select the placard target and choose your own development team under Signing & Capabilities.
  4. Build and run the app on your device.

Swift Package Manager resolves ZIPFoundation automatically when the project is opened.

How it works

Placard fetches the community wallpaper catalog, downloads the selected .tendies package, validates and extracts its PosterBoard descriptors, and assigns fresh identifiers before installation. On supported devices, bad_query provides access to the PosterBoard container. Placard also uses that access to display and remove installed wallpapers.

For a custom video wallpaper, Placard generates the required CAML and PosterBoard descriptor structure locally, then installs it through the same pipeline. Wallpaper changes finish with a SpringBoard refresh powered by NeoSpring.

[!WARNING] Placard relies on behavior that is not provided by a public Apple API. Compatibility may change between iOS releases. Installing or deleting system wallpaper data carries risk; use the app only on a device and OS version you are prepared to test.

Acknowledgements

Placard would not exist without the work of the following projects and contributors:

Wallpaper artwork remains the property of its respective creators. Author attribution supplied by the catalog is displayed in the app.

License

Placard is released under the GNU General Public License v3.0.

Some incorporated techniques or source material come from upstream projects. Review their respective terms before redistributing a build; in particular, the upstream bad_query and NeoSpring repositories may not declare a separate license.

placard (frs0n/placard)

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544 ·GitHub
Placard
What is this?Placard is an iOS app for browsing, creating, installing, and managing custom PosterBoard wallpapers (the interactive Lock Screen wallpapers introduced in iOS 26).
How do I get it running?Clone the repo, open placard.xcodeproj in Xcode, select the placard target, set your own development team for signing, then build and run on your device. Swift Package Manager pulls in ZIPFoundation automatically.
What do I need before I can build and use it?Xcode 26 or later, iOS 26 or later, and for installing/removing actual wallpapers you need a physical device — the Simulator can't do that part.
Is installing wallpapers with this safe?Placard depends on undocumented behavior (via the badquery technique) rather than a public Apple API, so compatibility can break with new iOS versions, and messing with system wallpaper data carries some risk.
Does it work on any iPhone model?It needs a physical device running iOS 26 or later; the Simulator can preview the catalog but can't install or manage wallpapers at all.
What's the catch with the GPL-3.0 license?Placard itself is GPL-3.0, but it incorporates techniques from upstream projects like badquery and NeoSpring that may not declare their own license, so you should check their terms before redistributing a build.
What is a .tendies package?It's the packaged format for a PosterBoard wallpaper; Placard downloads or imports .tendies files, validates them, and extracts their PosterBoard descriptors before installing.
Can I turn my own video into a wallpaper?Yes, Placard can turn a vertical video up to 12 seconds long into a looping or auto-reversing Lock Screen wallpaper by generating the needed CAML and PosterBoard descriptor structure locally.
What inspired Placard?It builds on Pocket Poster by LeminLimez, which originated the PosterBoard wallpaper workflow and .tendies support that Placard extends.
How does Placard apply changes after installing a wallpaper?It triggers a SpringBoard refresh using the NeoSpring technique so the new or removed wallpaper shows up without a full device restart.
What are similar projects?AirCard-iOS, Beans-Music, AirCard-macOS, omarchy-apple-dev, Erosion, SkeletonView, Ketamine, AirBeep
Which topics is it in?zip, swift-package-manager, wallpaper, ios-app, localization, xcode, installer, theme, apple, i18n, mobile-app, swift
Creator
frs0n
Size
26.7 MB
Stars
544
Updated
CommitSep 26Releasev1.9.2Sep 26
Age
2mo
Commits · 90 Days