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-texan-

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 8, 2010
37
5
Hi,
How do I change the login screen background in Big Sur?
 
are you talking about the Lock Screen that comes up when you first boot up the computer? if so id like to know as well
 
I’d like to know also, that bright background is awful. I thought it changed to the one of the user who last logged in but not now.
 
Don't like this login screen background.....


iu.jpeg
 
It change when I "click" my name on the login screen to the wallpaper I have set, but before that its that ugly background that I want to change.
 
I am waiting for ONYX next version will becoming out soon, it has a feature to change it safely. I have two images for this one. a copy of the default, and the one I want to change it to. It should be out in a week or so.
 
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When you change your wallpaper it changes the login screen to that I think.

It USED to but for some reason Big Sur isn't doing it. I think at beta 8 or beta 9 the actual Big Sur wallpaper I have on my desktop DID show up at the login screen, but after that (including the release), mine goes back to the ugly default as well. Even zapped the PRAM the other night hoping that would 'fix it' but nope, right when it booted back up, there was that god awful login screen again hah.
 
It's a little more to it than that. You know your user wallpaper is different than the login wallpaper. user wallpaper is easy. Login is more of a procedure. It would be nice if they would allow you change it as easy as the user. It's more of a system setting.
 
There is a directory, "/Library/Caches/Desktop Pictures" which contains (on my Mac) a single GUID named subdirectory containing a "lockscreen.png". I only have one user, so it's possible that it only changes the lockscreen when using fast user switching.
 
It USED to but for some reason Big Sur isn't doing it. I think at beta 8 or beta 9 the actual Big Sur wallpaper I have on my desktop DID show up at the login screen, but after that (including the release), mine goes back to the ugly default as well. Even zapped the PRAM the other night hoping that would 'fix it' but nope, right when it booted back up, there was that god awful login screen again hah.
If you download ONYX in the next couple weeks, when it releases. You can make it permanent. I got a hold the big sur Apple default photo like in "about this Mac," and the default (current) wallpaper, my 27" iMac resolution is 5120X2880, resized it, and place in Macintosh HD>Library/Desktop Pictures as JPG files. (you have put in to your password) to put in in this folder. Use whatever photo shop you use or preview app for the JPGs to resize. Big Sur must be a little different.
 
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There is a directory, "/Library/Caches/Desktop Pictures" which contains (on my Mac) a single GUID named subdirectory containing a "lockscreen.png". I only have one user, so it's possible that it only changes the lockscreen when using fast user switching.
I don't know if that's it. I think in ONYX, when you direct where your picture is at, it prefers the one I mentioned.
 
It USED to but for some reason Big Sur isn't doing it. I think at beta 8 or beta 9 the actual Big Sur wallpaper I have on my desktop DID show up at the login screen, but after that (including the release), mine goes back to the ugly default as well. Even zapped the PRAM the other night hoping that would 'fix it' but nope, right when it booted back up, there was that god awful login screen again hah.
Its suppose to be a separate action, user settings are nothing compared to system settings.
 
This is annoying. I have two users on my Macs and even after selecting a different wallpaper for each user (same one for both), the lock screen doesn't default to that one. I believe Catalina's default wallpaper for the lock screen was the Catalina wallpaper (which I preferred and used as my user desktop pictures) so I don't know if the behavior was the same in Catalina.
 
This is annoying. I have two users on my Macs and even after selecting a different wallpaper for each user (same one for both), the lock screen doesn't default to that one. I believe Catalina's default wallpaper for the lock screen was the Catalina wallpaper (which I preferred and used as my user desktop pictures) so I don't know if the behavior was the same in Catalina.
Everything online talks about change the login wallpaper from Catalina on back. Even the the so called file to change is not in /Library/Desktop Pictures
 
Everything online talks about change the login wallpaper from Catalina on back. Even the the so called file to change is not in /Library/Desktop Pictures. A great utility program call ONYX from Titanium Software is free, hasn't released the Big Sur version yet. They expected to in the next week or so. In there, you can change your system login screen. But have to make sure you read the notes to do it successfully. I've never done it. Now I am considering it with Big Sur. Look into it.
 
The original wallpaper is not there in /Library/Caches
I'm waiting for Onyx new version to do it properly, the internet only refers to past macOSes. Just wished macOS would make easy like the user wallpapers.
 
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This is annoying. I have two users on my Macs and even after selecting a different wallpaper for each user (same one for both), the lock screen doesn't default to that one. I believe Catalina's default wallpaper for the lock screen was the Catalina wallpaper (which I preferred and used as my user desktop pictures) so I don't know if the behavior was the same in Catalina.
This is different, I'll wait until Onyx comes out to look into it. Is it easy to involved.
 
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