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You can customize your Mac’s login experience by changing your account picture, adjusting the login-window layout, or adding a short lock-screen message. These controls are separate from desktop wallpaper. A longer acknowledgement banner is also possible, but it requires an administrator-level file change.
Choose the part of the login experience you want to change
| What you want to change | Where to do it | Who can change it |
|---|---|---|
| Account picture shown in the login window | System Settings > Users & Groups | The account holder; another currently logged-in user must change their own picture or log out first |
| Login-window layout, buttons, hints, or a short message | System Settings > Lock Screen | Use the Mac’s settings; availability can depend on account or organization management |
| Desktop picture or color | System Settings > Wallpaper | Use the Mac’s settings |
| Longer acknowledgement banner | A PolicyBanner file in /Library/Security/ |
An administrator; FileVault affects when it appears |
Change your Mac account picture
Apple’s Change your login picture on Mac guide describes this as changing the picture that appears in the login window. The same image is also used for your Apple Account picture and Contacts My Card.
- Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
- Select Users & Groups.
- Click the picture beside your login name.
- Choose an available category, such as Memoji, emoji, monogram, camera photo, Photos image, or a suggested image. You can also drag an image from Finder onto the current picture.
- Adjust the crop or zoom, then click Save.
If you are signed in as a different user, you cannot change that person’s picture from your account. Ask them to change it while signed in, or have them log out so you can access the relevant account.
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Open Apple menu > System Settings > Lock Screen. Apple’s Change Lock Screen settings on Mac guide documents options for the login-window presentation and for a brief message when the Mac is locked.
- Login window shows: choose a list of users or name-and-password fields.
- Show message when locked: enable the option and enter a short message. It can be a reminder or contact detail; Apple describes this as a short message, not a full policy acknowledgement.
- Other choices: configure password hints and whether Sleep, Restart, or Shut Down buttons appear. Accessibility settings are also available from this area.
Change the desktop wallpaper without confusing it with the login screen
To change the desktop picture or color, open Apple menu > System Settings > Wallpaper. Apple’s Wallpaper settings on Mac guide covers wallpaper, screen saver choices, and a Lock Screen clock option.
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Wallpaper is a separate control from the account picture and Lock Screen settings. Apple’s published guidance cited here does not establish a general setting for replacing the complete startup login-window background, so do not assume that changing desktop wallpaper will change that background. Apple-supported options include changing the account picture and configuring the login window or its message; the documented Wallpaper pane changes the desktop image or color.
Add a longer policy banner
For a longer acknowledgement banner, Apple documents a more technical method: create a plain-text or rich-text file named PolicyBanner, place it in /Library/Security/, and restart the Mac. Follow Apple’s How to set up policy banners in macOS instructions carefully; this is an administrator-level file operation, not a necessary step for changing a picture or short message.
If FileVault is enabled, the banner may appear only after the first user unlocks the startup disk, rather than at the initial preboot unlock. Apple’s troubleshooting guidance includes checking file permissions and, where needed, updating the APFS Preboot volume with diskutil apfs updatePreboot /. Use that command only as part of the documented troubleshooting process, not as a routine customization step.
Automatic login is an access decision, not a cosmetic setting
Automatic login skips the usual account-selection and sign-in process for the selected account. Apple warns that anyone who can restart the Mac may then access that account. It may also be unavailable when FileVault is enabled, when certain organization supervision profiles apply, or with some account configurations. See Apple’s How to log in automatically to a Mac user account for availability details before changing this setting.
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When the Mac belongs to an organization
Some managed environments use Login Window Mode for 802.1X network authentication. This is a specialized configuration that depends on compatible directory services and network-profile settings, not a general way to change the login screen’s appearance. Apple’s Use Login Window Mode for 802.1X authentication to a network explains that organization-specific setup.
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