How to Change Lock Screen on Mac? How to Set a Different Wallpaper & Background? [Customize Login Screen]

Give your Mac a fresh look! Tired of the same old wallpaper? This guide shows you how to easily change your Mac's lock and login screen backgrounds, even making them different. We'll also cover other customizations, like adding a personal message and updating your avatar.

Understanding Mac Lock and Login Screens

Your Mac's lock and login screens are the first things you see. In macOS 14 Sonoma and later, the lock screen appears when you start or wake your Mac, displaying the time and date and allowing user selection. After selecting your account, the login screen appears, prompting for your password or Touch ID. Both screens can have unique wallpapers.

Changing Your MacBook Lock Screen

There are several ways to customize your Mac's lock screen:

1. Changing the Desktop Background: The simplest method. Changing your desktop wallpaper automatically updates your lock screen.

   1. Open System Settings, then select Desktop & Screen Saver (or Wallpaper).
   2. Choose a pre-installed image or click Add Photo to select your own.

   

2. Manually Replacing "lockscreen.png": This lets you have different lock and desktop wallpapers.

   1. Create a PNG image named "lockscreen.png" with your desired resolution.
   2. Open Finder, use Go > Go to Folder, and enter /Library/Caches/Desktop Pictures/[Your User Account UUID].
   3. Replace the existing "lockscreen.png" with your new image. (Back up the original first!)

   

3. Adding a Custom Lock Screen Message: Useful for contact information in case of loss.

   1. Go to System Settings > Lock Screen.
   2. Enable "Show message when locked," enter your password, and set your message.

   

4. Changing Your Lock Screen Avatar: Personalize your lock screen with a custom image.

   1. Open System Settings > Users & Groups.
   2. Click the "i" icon next to your account, then click the edit button on your avatar.
   3. Choose a new image or take a photo using your webcam.

   

Customizing Your Mac Login Screen

The login screen can be customized using the same methods above (custom message and avatar). To change the background image, you'll need to manually prepare and place a correctly sized PNG image (following steps 1 and 2 above). If you want your login and desktop backgrounds to match, simply change your desktop wallpaper.

Troubleshooting: Missing Desktop Pictures Folder

If the folder with your user account's UUID is missing, create it:

1. Go to System Settings > Users & Groups.
2. Right-click your username, select Advanced Options, unlock with your password.
3. Copy your UUID.
4. Create a new folder in /Library/Caches/Desktop Pictures with your UUID as the name.
5. Place your "lockscreen.png" in this folder.

Keeping Login and Desktop Backgrounds Identical

Changing your desktop background through System Settings will also update your lock and login screens. Keep a copy of any custom login wallpaper to easily restore it if needed.

Conclusion

Freshen up your Mac with a quick wallpaper and lock screen change! Apple provides many options, or use your own images. For extra space, consider using a duplicate file finder tool. Remember to keep a backup of your custom images.

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