How to change the login/startup Image in Mac OS

if you are the sole user (not even a guest account) AND file vault is turned off you can go to System Preferences > Users & Groups > Login Options and set "Display login window as" to "List of users". then your login screen matches your desktop background.

if you are using file vault or have multiple users, the above will not work.  if that's your situation, you will need to wait for apple to address this. it may be worth your time to send feedback directly to apple. Feedback - macOS - Apple. 

eerobicheaux wrote:

I think I have asked the wrong question. I am referring to the image that shows up on the screen when one first turns on the computer, the log in screen.

no, you are in the right place. that is how you make the login screen match your chosen desktop pic.

here used to be a feature in System Preferences/Display that let one chose the log/on screen or start up screen versus what is now the Desktop display.

now your only options are to use the horrid orange login screen or have it match your chosen desktop pic.

I want to change the startup image but cannot find how to do so and in one post the responder made a comment that it could not longer be done because Apple secured that area.

then I guess that is correct. I don't know "what used to be" but since at least Big Sur the login screen pic can no longer be set independently of your desktop pic. sorry.

I don't believer there is a way to change that screen. It is embedded in the read-only, sealed snapshot.

The others here are trying to explain how you can avoid it, but it requires that your turn FileVault off, and maybe turn on automatic login. The account login screen will show whatever you set for the admin account desktop.

If you have FileVault enabled, the decryption login will always be the Apple designated background.

If there is a way to hack the OS and put in a different picture, you will probably have to find it on a different site as that would probably violate the terms of use, here.

To add another issue that Jumps " HI: recently purchased a Mac Book Pro, M1 and I have OS 12.5.1 currently."

That version dates back to Aug 17, 2022 Monterey macOS 12.5.1 ( 21G83 )

The current version, as of this writing, is version 12.6 and there is a separate update of Safari to version 16

Again, as @jefferythefrog has mentioned, the user is asking the right question and getting the detailed steps to achieve the desire results.

What the user does with this information is a Users' choice

👍

thanks for the thumbs up to my reply. :)

and your second reply deserves a 👍 as well. it's always good practice to stay up to date.

Think this was implied in earlier posting ?

" if you are using file vault or have multiple users, the above will not work"