Solution for changing Big Sur login wallpaper to custom.

You have to create the folder. Desktop pictures is only the place to get the photo. The directions work when followed to the letter.

It worked! The only other thing I had to do was check DISPLAY LOGIN AS: LIST OF USERs after the first reboot. (found under settings/users and groups/right click current user). As mentioned above.

It worked for me, kind of, once I turned-off "FileVault". When I restarted my Mac, the Big Sur wallpaper was still there, but as soon as I logged-in, for a split second and I literally mean for a split second, the wallpaper I wanted the login screen to change to appeared. Once I was logged-in, my normal "Desktop Wallpaper" appeared.

I then turned-on "FileVault" again, restarted and started the process all over again, but this time, the login wallpaper I wanted did not appear at all.

I prefer to have "FileVault" on, so I guess the Big Sur login wallpaper is going to have to stay until something else changes?

Thanks for the instructions though and cheers,

MB

@hildegard47, Apple did give us options of different pictures to choose from for your desktop picture such as choosing your own even. Regarding the login screen you'll have to follow the steps above or check out OnyX when it's released for Big Sur.

As Halliday said, Apple doesn't read these forms, we are users like yourself answering questions for other people. Good point @Halliday that could be right about the artists impression.

Hope this helps.

After that, one needs to switch their desktop background to a different one and then change it back for the lockscreen.png file to be created automatically.

After that, reboot your machine and your login background should match your desktop background.

This solution from Applewarm solves a different problem to the one that I think the majority of people are asking. This solution changes the LOGIN screen wallpaper but not the screen that you are presented with after STARTUP. When you login to your Mac on Big Sur you are presented with an 'interesting' background screen that serves as the backdrop to all of your user ids on that Mac. When you select a user id and login a further LOGIN screen background appears (and this is the background that gets changed by the Applewarm process). Then, when you get through to the user id that you want to use it is business as usual and it is easy to change that working background. The question that still is not answered for me is how do I change the STARTUP background screen where I am presented with all of the user ids. Any help mush appreciated. Thank you.

As with Zranta’s system, duncanthe_kiwi, if you have a Multi-User system, you will always be presented with the Login Screen («the backdrop to all of your user ids on that Mac»).

(Note: the Startup Screen is the common term for the screen with the Apple logo and progress bar.)

On Single-User systems (when the Mac recognizes the system as such), the Login Screen is skipped, and one goes straight into the Lock Screen of that single user. (The Lock Screen is also what you see once you have selected a user on a Multi-User system.)

None of us have, yet, found how to change the background of the Login Screen («the backdrop to all of your user ids on that Mac»), that one sees when on a Multi-User system, or, for whatever reason, when the Mac doesn’t recognize the system as being a Single-User system.

(Additional Note: when the system’s login is set to Username/Password, the Login Screen will be what is shown all the way until one has successfully logged into an account—even if there is only a single user account that one may log into.)

Welcome, omar2084, to Apple Support Communities!

What «welcome login screen» you are referring to will depend upon whether you have a multi-user system (even just having the Guest account enabled makes your system multi-user), or a system that is recognized as being a single-user system. (As that should imply to you, one can have what one considers to be a single-user system that’s not recognized as such.)

The screen that shows icons for each user, or that has a Username/Password dialogue box, is best labeled as the Login Screen.

If the Login Screen shows icons for each user, once you click on a user you will see that user’s Lock Screen, which, typically, is directly related to that user’s chosen Background.

If your system is recognized as a single-user system, then your computer will “skip” the Login Screen, and show the Lock Screen for that single user.

The steps presented in this Discussion are to help people set up single-user systems so they are recognized as such by the system.

For those of us with multi-user systems, we are still presented with the Big Sur Graphic at the Login Screen, and no one, so far, has found a way to set the system to do otherwise.

Hi ZelikaA,

What directory are you looking in? The correct directory is Macintosh HD//Library/Caches/Desktop Pictures.

For me the Desktop Pictures folder didn't exist so I had to create the folder.

Apple doesn't read these forms and probally never will, these are community forms where we help each other. No one is perfect, even Apple.

Hope this helps.

Welcome, LeadMare, to Apple Support Communities!

Is your system a Single-User system: not even having the Guest user enabled?

Do you have the Login Screen set to “List of Users”, rather than “Username and Password”?

Without both of these, even performing all the other steps given by the Original Post (OP), you’ll not be able to have the desired outcome, at this time.

I think also that we must be certain to have filevault turned off. I tried the procedure whit filevault still active and it didn't work. I'm decrypting the disk right now and then i'll try again

Hi Bastian05,

If you have multiple accounts or a guest account or FIleVault enabled, you won't be able to change the login background, it will just show the rainbow background.

Hope this helps.

This does not work. If you have a Mac with multiple users, this will only set the login screen for each individual user, not the general login screen that appears after a reboot.

I forgot to mention that if you do this you can put the permissions for the folder back to their original state afterwards.