Change the login screen background?

[Quackers]

Did someone in the meantime find a way to replace the standard login picture on Big Sur? I really would like to get rid of it … What I am looking for is a plan with exact instructions.

Did you try the method linked to in post 25 of this thread on page 1?
It seems it either works or it doesn't. It is suspected that FileVault running might stop it working.
It's worked on both my M1's - although with multiple users it won't change that wallpaper on the original "select user" screen. Only the actual login screens.

 

[ivnj]

I like the current default actually. Probably the only one.

 

[uelef]

Did you try the method linked to in post 25 of this thread on page 1

It does not help to get rid of the standard login screen as long as you have different user on your mac.

 

[x34]

11. Make sure FileVault and Guest user are deactivated.

no option or acceptable solution for me.

 

[Monotremata]

Oddly enough the last few times Ive rebooted my Mac, I haven't seen the ugly rainbow screen in awhile. Mine reboots to the same dynamic Big Sur background on my desktop now. Ill have to check it again today after work when I can update to 11.2.2..

 

[Apple_Robert]

I have tried several times today and cannot get lock screen picture to change. I have the Desktop Pictures folder with my UDID named folder inside with the lock screen.png file I wanted. I have permissions set to everyone on folder and picture.

 

[Apple_Robert]

With the help of Quackers, I was able to find my problem. Your login screen must be set to the default setting. Otherwise, the login screen hack will not work. I had changed mine to the "name and password" option for better security. That's why the new screen never showed.

It is great the rid of that hideous Big Sur login screen.

I can also confirm the hack still will not work with multiple accounts which I figured would be the case.

 

[Apple_Robert]

After doing some DFU clean install testing using Configurator 2 last weekend, I noticed that without having to do any of the previous aforementioned steps, my login screen automatically changed to whatever my current wallpaper was on 11.2.2. Anyone else notice the change?

 

[iStorm]

After doing some DFU clean install testing using Configurator 2 last weekend, I noticed that without having to do any of the previous aforementioned steps, my login screen automatically changed to whatever my current wallpaper was on 11.2.2. Anyone else notice the change?

Just to be sure, you're talking about the actual login screen (after a shutdown/reboot), and not the lock screen?

 

[Apple_Robert]

Just to be sure, you're talking about the actual login screen (after a shutdown/reboot), and not the lock screen?

That is correct. The very first screen you see after cold reboot.

 

[Wolfmann2904]

Read this:

"Don't mess with system files in macOS Big Sur unless you know what you're doing and are willing to run your Mac with SSV disabled via "csrutil authenticated-root disable" set forever. You'll need to remember that if your drive suddenly fails to boot one day with no explicit errors, it could be that SSV somehow got re-enabled (you can check via Disk Utility via "csrutil authenticated-root status" from Recovery Mode). You'll need to remember that if your drive is portable, you also need to disable SSV on each and every Mac you plug it into or it'll fail to boot, again with no explicit errors."

Words of Caution Regarding Modification of System Files Using "csrutil authenticated-root disable"

I wanted to make a thread just to raise general awareness about the dangers and caveats of modifying system files in Big Sur, since I feel this doesn't really get highlighted enough. In many tutorials regarding modification of system files in Big Sur (eg: customizing icons for Apple's built-in...

forums.macrumors.com

If you really want to get rid of the ugly system login/lock screen on a machine that has multiple user accounts do what I have done on my iMac Pro:

1. Install a copy of BigSur on a separate partition or a separate hard drive for each user. It's easy to do that. After you have finished the first install just clone Big Sur with Carbon Copy Cloner to other partitions or hard drives, create accounts for other users and delete your original account there. So, each user will have his/hers own Big Sur.
2. Install a graphical boot manager. I use Open Core, it's free.

 

[firexed]

Read this:

"Don't mess with system files in macOS Big Sur unless you know what you're doing and are willing to run your Mac with SSV disabled via "csrutil authenticated-root disable" set forever. You'll need to remember that if your drive suddenly fails to boot one day with no explicit errors, it could be that SSV somehow got re-enabled (you can check via Disk Utility via "csrutil authenticated-root status" from Recovery Mode). You'll need to remember that if your drive is portable, you also need to disable SSV on each and every Mac you plug it into or it'll fail to boot, again with no explicit errors."

Words of Caution Regarding Modification of System Files Using "csrutil authenticated-root disable"

I wanted to make a thread just to raise general awareness about the dangers and caveats of modifying system files in Big Sur, since I feel this doesn't really get highlighted enough. In many tutorials regarding modification of system files in Big Sur (eg: customizing icons for Apple's built-in...

forums.macrumors.com

If you really want to get rid of the ugly system login/lock screen on a machine that has multiple user accounts do what I have done on my iMac Pro:

1. Install a copy of BigSur on a separate partition or a separate hard drive for each user. It's easy to do that. After you have finished the first install just clone Big Sur with Carbon Copy Cloner to other partitions or hard drives, create accounts for other users and delete your original account there. So, each user will have his/hers own Big Sur.
2. Install a graphical boot manager. I use Open Core, it's free.

Has anyone found a simpler workaround for this on a machine that has multiple user accounts ?

 

[Apple_Robert]

Has anyone found a simpler workaround for this on a machine that has multiple user accounts ?

As far as I am aware, there is no work-around. I tried several times a few months ago after getting my M1.

 

[blueflower]

Bumping this, if I lock my screen myself then it is the same as my wallpaper which is fine I guess. I really should have an option of customizing both. However, if the laptop locks on its own its an ugly multi-colored screen. I tried some solutions here and on youtube but no dice. Any ideas?

 

[jpfpreston]

It seems people do not know the difference between the Lock Screen and the Login Screen in this thread.

Yes, following the UUID '/Library/Caches/Desktop\ Pictures' method changes the Lock Screen, but not the Login Screen.

This means, when you click on your Avatar to enter your password, it will change the Lock Screen to what you have set.

However, this method does not change the Login Screen.

I have also seen people asking "why would you want to change it you just see it when you start your computer" etc etc. This is a bad attitude. What works for you and your one user account may not work for a corporation with 100 Macs. We wish to apply a corporate Login Screen background we had applied in every previous OS. Not the garish Pink Orange and Blue swirly thing Apple have set for us.

Bumping this post. Any actual solutions for the LOGIN screen please reply.

 

[blueflower]

It seems people do not know the difference between the Lock Screen and the Login Screen in this thread.

Yes, following the UUID '/Library/Caches/Desktop\ Pictures' method changes the Lock Screen, but not the Login Screen.

This means, when you click on your Avatar to enter your password, it will change the Lock Screen to what you have set.

However, this method does not change the Login Screen.

I have also seen people asking "why would you want to change it you just see it when you start your computer" etc etc. This is a bad attitude. What works for you and your one user account may not work for a corporation with 100 Macs. We wish to apply a corporate Login Screen background we had applied in every previous OS. Not the garish Pink Orange and Blue swirly thing Apple have set for us.

Bumping this post. Any actual solutions for the LOGIN screen please reply.

I'm on 11.4 and I have a different login screen now upon initial login. However, apple themselves seems not to know the difference between login and lockscreen and desktop. The macbook has the desktop image to login to once the computer is awoken or after you want to login in with screensaver activated. very annoying I was the login image to be there i dunno WHENEVER I have to login agghhh

 

[Monotremata]

Mines got the Big Sur dynamic background no matter whether I reboot, the screen goes to sleep and locks, etc. After an OS update, I usually get the colored background after that first reboot, but once I log back in, it always goes back to my desktop screen for everything. Im also the only user on this Mac, so not sure if that has any difference. I havent seen the colored Big Sur background in quite awhile.

 

[snail22]

So is the bottom line that there is absolutely no way to change the login screen background on Big Sur? I'm confused because there are quite a few solutions posted online and none seem to work. It sure is ugly.

 

[iStorm]

So is the bottom line that there is absolutely no way to change the login screen background on Big Sur? I'm confused because there are quite a few solutions posted online and none seem to work. It sure is ugly.

It all depends if you have FileVault turned on or not. If it’s turned on, it’s nearly impossible (if at all) to change it, and not worth the effort in my opinion. More details are in an earlier post of mine…

Change the login screen background?

The link @Quackers posted only works if you aren't using FileVault. If FileVault is turned on, it completely changes how this is done...if it is even still possible with Big Sur. When FileVault is enabled, you are booting to a separate Preboot volume to log in, so that it can unlock the...

forums.macrumors.com