Shallow Pond a clear sandy pond seen from straight above
Clear shallow water over sand and pebbles, seen from straight above. Three schools of silver minnows turn together, dragonflies hover and settle on the surface, two koi drift through, and hermit crabs peek out of their shells while light ripples across the floor.
Free to install. Shallow Pond unlocks with Pro, $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year. Cancel anytime.
What you see on every new tab
Shallow Pond turns the New Tab page into still, clear water, edge to edge. You look straight down through the surface at rippled sand, gravel and pebbles, with nets of sunlight sliding over the floor and every creature casting its shadow on it.
The water: breeze ripples, ring waves, light caustics on the floor, and the sky reflected in the surface: clouds and sun glitter by day, the moon and stars by night.
The fish: a hundred and eight minnows in three schools that turn and bolt together, and two koi, a red-and-white Kohaku and a smaller Sanke, that visit for a few minutes at a time.
The others: two dragonflies that patrol, hover, dip their tails and rest on the surface, and two hermit crabs that hide, peek, walk and leave tracks in the sand.
Drama: a koi will sometimes strike a dragonfly that has sat too long: rings, droplets, and every minnow scatters.
Nothing is a video. The water, the light and every animal are simulated live on your graphics card with WebGL.
What it reacts to
Mouse: minnows gather round your pointer, circle it, and dart in to nip the surface, each nip leaving a small ring.
Night: after dusk the sun gives way to the moon and stars in the reflection, the minnows slow down and sink deeper, and the dragonflies leave to roost.
Free or Pro?Pro
Ambient New Tab is free to install, with three free themes. Shallow Pond is a Pro theme. Pro is $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year, cancel anytime, and it unlocks every Pro theme, music sync, and every new theme as we release it. You can preview Shallow Pond full screen before you buy: open the Themes panel and rest your mouse on it. Changed your mind? 14-day refund, no questions.
Open a new tab and click the Themes pill in the bottom-right corner.
Pick Shallow Pond. Done.
Shallow Pond on a 1280×800 New Tab page.
Questions
Do the koi really eat the dragonflies?
Sometimes. If a dragonfly rests on the water for too long, a koi may come up and take it with a splash. A new dragonfly arrives a few seconds later.
Is Shallow Pond free?
It is a Pro theme. Pro is $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year. It unlocks every Pro theme, music sync, and every new theme as it is released. Cancel anytime.
What changes at night?
The reflection switches to the moon and stars, the light turns cool, the minnows slow and sit deeper, and the dragonflies are gone until morning.
Does it work on my phone?
No. It's a desktop browser extension for Chrome and Edge on Windows, macOS, Linux and ChromeOS. If you're reading this on a phone, send yourself the link.
