Solution for changing Big Sur login wallpaper to custom.

Hi Godisallpeople,

I don't think it will work with FileVault enabled so you'll have to disable it. Sure, the correct path is Macintosh HD > /Library/Caches/Desktop Pictures.

If the folder doesn't exist you can create it.

Hope this helps.

Hi Soren,

I followed all the steps. My setup matched the steps. The folders and entries were there. File vault was turned off and guest user was also.

no joy, boot screen with user selection on it still has ugly background.

I had changed desktop before procedure and login screen with password input had followed. Strange how different users experience different results. Something is missing !

There is one other discussion that said that the screen that we are all discussing is the BOOT screen. In other words whether that is the select user screen or the single user Mac login screen it is the FIRST screen that your individual Mac shows first when it boots. According to this thread the background for the screen is derived from UNIX before Apple OS takes over. The implication is that the pattern is hidden deep in Unix and won’t be found or Changed without using Terminal to get there, unless Apple gives us a setting to do so.

How important is it to actually turn off a computer nowadays instead of just putting it to sleep when not in use ? That is a solution until Apple has a fix.

If I just shut the lid and let my MacBook Pro sleep instead of turning it off, I will not get that image except when I have to restart for the next update. Hopefully the next update will have a solution. I think that is what some people here are doing in that a few of the comments here talk about a log-in page that is different from the user selection page. If I just let it sleep instead of turning it off, then when I open the laptop, I get my own choice of picture with a log in (or fingerprint) instead of the image ce we can’t change.

Is it reasonable to simply not turn off a MacBook Pro until Apple fixed this ? Is there any reason not to do that ?

Glennly,

One thought, did you change your desktop background to something else and then back again after following the steps? Is there a file called lockscreen.png in Macintosh HD > Library > Caches > Desktop Pictures > UUID folder?

For me, I had to create the Desktop Pictures folder and UUID folder and once done I switched the desktop background to something else and then back again and it caused the file to be created. I then rebooted and it showed the correct login screen background.

Hope this helps.

I can’t use the fix offered here because it compromises security of file vault.

The stain on the computer of sleeping is probably with it to me. I also have had the battery drain problem with the Mac getting hot like an oven while screen mirroring or on Zoom. I have already been to the Genius Bar, and it’s but a hardware problem, and I have a phone call with Apple today to see what can and cannot be fixed.

For Airplay, I found it is called 3 different things in different places (Airplay, Screen Mirroring, Airplay Mirroring), and I have the impression there may not just be inconsistencies in the language we see on the screen but possibly also engineering inconsistencies that might account for why different people are getting different results following the same process. Just speculating, I’m thinking part of the coding was done in India, and different parts of the engineering were done by junior engineers working from home, and there were a lot of communication breakdowns that Apple just needs to fix. But the means of submitting a suggestion appears to be the deepest round file on earth. I didn’t even get an automated response for it. Yesterday, I told Siri, “Siri, I want a divorce,” and got dead silence.

For me, I won’t put up with it. Apple can fix it or lose me as a customer. I’ve already picked out another brand. And I’m not entirely averse to throwing a 2-½ year old $2000 computer with perfect hardware in the recycle bin and starting over in January if it isn’t fixed by then. But I won’t do that without a fight. And between now and then, what harm is there in leaving it turned on if I’m going to throw it out in January anyway ?

So if it a fire hazard ? That’s the kind of thing I want to know.

Thanks. Sorry for venting.

If you only have a single user this works, but for multiple user accounts you only see the image you want when you click on the user you want to login. Otherwise you are still stuck with the ugly graphic design on startup until you do that.

Okay. I spoke with Apple telephone support, and here is what I got on this issue:

1. At least for a MacBook Pro, there is absolutely nothing wrong with just putting your computer to sleep when you are through using it instead of turning it off. If you do that, you will not get the start up image that we don't like when you wake it the next day.
2. However, you should shut it down at least once every week or two and re-start it the same as you would shut down and restart your iPhone from time to time to give it a fresh start. If I shut it down at night once every 10 days and restart it the next day, I get that image 3 times a month until Apple has a fix and I can live with that.
3. There is currently no way to change that image that we get when we first turn on the computer. At least not yet.

Hi hildegard47, arizonanorse,

Thanks for getting the information from Apple. I don't quite agree with everything though.

1. Yes there is nothing wrong with just putting the computer to sleep but that doesn't mean one should leave it asleep for long periods. I had to out this afternoon but knew I was coming back so I closed the lid and put it to sleep.
2. I shut down my Mac every night as leaving it asleep for long periods isn't recommended even if Apple says so. What if there is a poweroutage or something happens to the power then computer will run out of battery and turn off by itself loosing whatever important you might have up.
3. One has to take what Apples says with a grain of salt sometimes. They've told me things in the past that I knew were just plain wrong. Since I have 20 years and more of Mac experience, I say thanks and try what I think and usually it solves the issue.
4. If you meant officially, then yes you are correct but there is a way to changes the login screen background following these steps. I tried it on my own Mac and it worked. For me the Desktop pictures folder didn't exist in Macintosh HD/Library/Cache/ but once created my login background is synced with my desktop background. As people have said and it's interesting, it works for some but not others. I'm aware of one having to turn off FileVault and all that.

I hope this helps and wanted to share my thoughts on the situation as well.

Glennly,

Sure, I'm running a single user setup.

Not sure if you caught my earlier post but one thing you could try is the same steps with multiple users, create the desktop pictures folder and then create UUIDs folders for each user to see if it's possible to create custom login wallpapers. Something to try and see if it's possible.

This solution works only if i turned off the FileVault. Once i configured everything i could see the wallpaper changed. But when i enable back the FileVault its again set to the default colourful big sur wallpaper. I need to keep my disk encrypted while having my wallpaper as login background. Need solution for this.

Hey Rob

I stumbled upon this and it worked for me.

I had a two other accounts on my mac

A guest user and a TEST account.

I went to System Preferences, Users and groups. ( unlock your padlock to do this)

and Deleted my TEST User account completely.

You can't delete the Guest account but you can turn it off here (

then goto the Apple icon (upper right) and select "Lock Screen"

my user log in screen was there so I chose it.

it worked for me.

James

Welcome, rob185, to Apple Support Communities!

I do hope «Apple support» didn’t, actually, «recommend [you] put in a comment in a forum for it to be hopefully fixed on next update.»

That would be quite terrible advice.

What I hope they actually advised you to do is provide Product Feedback to Apple: Product Feedback - Apple.

Most particularly at Feedback - macOS - Apple.

In my case, I forgot to mention FileVault was never enabled, so I didn't need to disable/re-enable. While the note about the default Big Sur background being reinitiated with FileVault is. helpful, it does suggest that an Engineering Team fix in a future update is needed to restore the lost capability.

I have tried all the solutions posted, none of them work. I have multiple accounts on my mac and as soon as you logout, you get the absolutely hideous default Big Sur screen as the main login screen background.

Why in the world did Apple pick such an awful default screen for Big Sur? Why is there not an easy way for customers to change it to something else?