When I installed MacOS 14 Sonoma, I could choose between the default login background and the last background that was used on my Mac mini. I hoped I could change the background of the login screen afterwards, but there doesn't seems to be an option. It seems you get the choice only when installing the upgrade. Is there any way to change it?
Mac mini, macOS 14.0
There is no option to change the background I have chosen when I installed Sonoma. At start up the background is always what I have chosen at installation. (I had the choice between the standard background of Sonoma - green landscape picture or the last background I used when I installed Sonoma - I have a rotating background from a personal collection of backgrounds).
There is no option to change the background I have chosen when I installed Sonoma. At start up the background is always what I have chosen at installation. (I had the choice between the standard background of Sonoma - green landscape picture or the last background I used when I installed Sonoma - I have a rotating background from a personal collection of backgrounds).
What works for me is setting background with images from a folder and setting shuffle on and checking random. The next time I start up, I have another wallpaper als login screen. But I can't control which one I will get. If I'm not happy with the one I got, I change the shuffle time, uncheck random, and then change shuffle time again and check random. And I get another login screen.
Also each time I do an update of MacOS the login screen changes in a random one from my wallpaper folder.
Gmenu wrote:
When I installed MacOS 14 Sonoma, I could choose between the default login background and the last background that was used on my Mac mini. I hoped I could change the background of the login screen afterwards, but there doesn't seems to be an option. It seems you get the choice only when installing the upgrade. Is there any way to change it?
hmmm....
typically the following—
boot screen does not match logged in Desktop wallpaper—
You can make a change to match your logged in wallpaper...
if you are the only user
if FileVault is OFF
Guest user OFF
Automatic log-in OFF
Display shows—> List of user in Sonoma >System Settings>Lock Screen>List of user
under these conditions boot up screen will match your logged in desktop wallpaper
Unfortunately, that does not work. I have a custom wallpaper set (via Wallpapers in System Settings) and the wallpaper image is located on the boot drive (Macintosh HD) but when I power up my MacBook, the background image to the login screen is always this aerial picture of a field. Setting a wallpaper background has no effect on this.
To change the background image, go to Wallpapers in System Settings. Similar to iOS and iPaOS, the Wallpapers control what appears on the Lock Screen.
When I installed Sonoma I had the choice between the default login background and one of my own backgrounds (I suppose the last that was used when I started installing). But couldn't change it afterwards, but choosing for random order of background rotation, made it so that the next day I had another background when I opened my Mac mini.
You are correct for M1/M2 Macs. If you have an Intel Mac FileVault needs to be turned off to change the login screen wall paper and stay off. If you turn it back on the default screen returns.
I am back, as promised, and... I was wrong. The login window when first starting my mac does show my old desktop picture, that I chose when I started Sonoma for the first time.
This has probably been saved somewhere in the system volume which, as you know, is mounted read-only when you use your mac normally, so we can't change it. The only option, if at all possible, may be to boot into recovery and change an appropriate file using Terminal in recovery mode. Not something that I am likely to try.
Because I use a screen saver that needs pasword to unlock, I never see the Lock Screen. I only see the login screen at start up. I can't choose the wanted wallpaper, I have rotating background every 15 min it changes from a collection of wallpapers. But I managed to change the background of the login screen by selecting "random", although I couldn't choose which one I wanted, the login screen showed another one of my background. So once it shows one that one, I'll deselect random background and see it he keeps that one.
I have FileVault on so can't test it out, but thanks for the reply. It's a pity the choice for the background of the login screen, on start up, was a one time choice you could make. If I had known this I would have put the background on my desktop I wanted, when installing Sonoma.
I could be shown wrong, but I think there is a big misunderstanding. The choice is not for the login screen. You can't have a custom login screen unless you a) have only one user account (*) and b) do not have File Vault activated.
As it happens, I may be able to disprove myself, but I will have to shutdown my mac first. When presented, I chose the old background. I did not read very carefully, but I interpret this as just my user account desktop picture, and NOT a login desktop picture.
I will be back in a minute...
Yeah, I don't want to mess around with terminal. I hoped they would provide what they did the first time you start up Sonoma. A flag that could set that the next time you start up you would have a new choice. Hopefully they will do the same thing with the next expansion, and then I can choose the background I want beforehand.
Same issue here - very annoying.
I know, the login background under Ventura was fixed as well, but at least it was just a graphic background.
But now in Sonoma we seem be stuck with some Instagram-like picture of some place in the world.
I remember, Microsoft did a similar thing in 2015 with Windows 10, but at least then the input mask for the login was more prominent; with the current image in Sonoma, you can barely see which user is selected for login as the grey box surrounding the avatar of the selected user blends in with the background image.
Apple should allow us to at least choose just an abstract graphic. I don't want to look at some image that has no relevance to me.
I agree. Each time you do an update you have to reorganise your settings. Why does Apple dictate what customers like and why does it make it extra hard or impossible to find and go back to old settings? So annoying.
I would hope that Apple allows the lock screen picture to be changed in a later release of macOS Sonoma. Fixing it to this aerial image of a field doesn't benefit the user and merely informs any would-be attacker what version of macOS they are dealing with.
change login background in MacOS Sonoma
