Set it, then start it
Save a public Receive address, choose a currency, and select Start Mining. Installing, opening the app, or enabling Start at Login never starts mining on its own.
Open-source CPU mining
Meet
Idle Miner...
A small desktop app that puts spare computing time to work. Mine with RandomX, and choose payouts in Litecoin, Dogecoin or Bitcoin through unMineable.
For Apple Silicon Macs & 64-bit Linux · Free software · GPL-3.0
LTC LitecoinDOGE DogecoinBTC Bitcoin
You choose when to start.
Less CPU while you work
Shared limits across currencies
Opens stopped by default
The idea
Your computer does the work.
You stay in control.
Mining means using your CPU to perform calculations for a cryptocurrency network. Idle Miner uses the XMRig engine for RandomX / Monero mining. The provider converts credited work into your selected payout currency.
Give your work room
Automatic mode uses one thread while you’re active and increases after five minutes idle. You can choose to pause completely while active. Battery, heat, sleep, memory and sustained CPU load can pause or reduce mining.
See what’s happening
Mining Stats shows local activity alongside provider balance and payout progress. Accepted shares are work accepted by the pool, not wallet deposits. The provider handles payouts; Idle Miner does not move funds.
Mining uses electricity and can increase heat and fan activity. Rewards vary with your hardware, pool conditions and coin prices; they may not cover your costs. Estimates do not deduct electricity. XMRig retains its 1% developer donation, and provider fees and payout rules also apply.
Make it yours
Download Idle Miner
macOS
Apple Silicon · macOS 14 or later
A native Mac app with a menu bar icon, an optional Dock icon, and resizable Mining Stats.
Download for MacDMG disk image · Apple Silicon
- Open the DMG and drag Idle Miner to Applications.
- Eject the disk image, then open the app from Applications.
- Open Settings, add your Receive address, and start when ready.
Linux
64-bit ARM64 or x86_64 · Source installer
For Fedora, Fedora Asahi, Ubuntu and recent Debian-family desktops with the required packages.
Download for Linuxtar.gz archive · Builds for your computer
- Extract the archive and open Terminal in its folder.
- Run
bash install.shas your normal desktop user. - Allow several minutes, then open Idle Miner from your launcher.
Already using Idle Miner? Quit all currency instances before replacing or reinstalling. Saved wallets and settings are retained. Version 1.6.1 makes Mining Stats larger and resizable.
Platform checks: macOS 1.6.1 was tested natively. Linux 1.6 has historical Ubuntu and Fedora checks; the new 1.6.1 native Linux desktop build and native Asahi 1.6.1 remain unverified. Run the one-thread Offline Test after installing.
All releases & release notesA simple first session
Three steps to get started.
Copy your Receive address
In your wallet, select Litecoin, Dogecoin or Bitcoin and use Receive. Copy the public address for that currency’s native network. No seed phrase, private key or wallet password belongs in Idle Miner.
Save your preferences
Open Settings. Save the addresses you want to use, choose your currency and the shared CPU limit. Leave unused wallets blank. Saving Settings stops mining so you can review your changes.
Start, watch, stop
Select Start Mining for automatic mode. Open Mining Stats to see current work and provider reporting. Use Stop whenever you want to end the session.
Your pace
More control.
Less guesswork.
Let automatic mode adapt to your activity, or use a timed Boost when you want to allow more CPU. You can end Boost early; its timer returns you to automatic mode.
15 min30 min1 hour6 hours12 hours24 hours
Boost still respects shared CPU capacity, battery, heat, sleep and memory protections.
One shared CPU allowance
Choose a total of 2, 4, 8 or 12 threads. All currency instances share that limit, with two CPU cores reserved where possible. Opening another currency does not double the allowance.
Multiple currencies, separate work
Open Another Currency opens a stopped instance with its own Stats and logs. Only one instance may mine each currency. Each engine needs a separate RandomX dataset of about 2 GB. Linux requires at least 3 GB of free memory per engine to start; additional currencies need additional memory.
A status you can read
- Green — fresh, confirmed work
- Red — an engine, connection or reporting issue
- Gray — stopped, paused or starting
Good to know
Before you press Start.
How do payments reach my wallet?
Your public Receive address tells unMineable where to send the selected coin. The provider records your rewards in its pool balance. Automatic payout happens only if it is configured with the provider and the current payout threshold and rules are met.
Use Pool Payouts to check the provider dashboard. Idle Miner does not send funds, change provider payout settings or guarantee a payment schedule. Check current fees, thresholds and network support there.
What do the Stats numbers mean?
Hashrate is the speed of mining calculations. Accepted shares are work the pool accepted, not deposits. Pool balance is the provider’s accounted reward balance; reporting and prices can lag.
Session elapsed includes automatic pauses and freezes when you stop. A new Start begins a new session. Hashing time counts observed positive work; app uptime continues while the app is open. Each currency has separate accounting.
Which wallet addresses can I use?
Use a public Receive address on the selected coin’s native network. Native Litecoin, Dogecoin and Bitcoin addresses are supported; wrapped coins and addresses for another currency are not. Bitcoin Lightning and Taproot, and Litecoin MWEB addresses are not supported by this build.
Save each currency’s address in its matching Settings field. Switch Currency stops the previous engine before switching to the saved target. A missing target address opens Settings.
Where is the app, and will it start at login?
On Mac, menu-bar-only is the default. Settings lets you show a Dock icon, a menu bar icon, or both. Keep at least one enabled. On Linux, use the window/taskbar and optional tray; if your desktop has no usable tray, the window stays available.
Start at Login opens the default instance stopped. Additional currency instances must be opened and started separately.
Can I try it without a wallet or a pool connection?
Yes. Run the one-thread Offline Test for up to 70 seconds to check local hashing. It connects to no pool and earns nothing. It is a useful first check after a Linux install.
On virtual machines, guest activity, battery and temperature can differ from the host. Use modest CPU and RAM allocations and stop if the host becomes less responsive. Native Asahi hardware operation remains unverified.
Is the source available?
Yes. Idle Miner is free software under GPL-3.0. The app source and corresponding XMRig source and licenses are available in the repository and release packages. You can inspect, build, modify and share it under the license terms.
Start with the basics
Your computer. Your call.
Choose a platform, read the guide, and start when you’re ready.