You've probably customized the menu bar, Dock, and other elements on your Mac. But did you know macOS lets you change the Lock Screen or login window to suit your needs as well?

Maybe you want to use a username, password, or Touch ID for additional security. Or maybe you forget your password often and would like to display a hint. Have a favorite quote you like to start your day with? You can add that to your login screen too.

We'll walk you through how to easily change your Mac's Lock Screen in all these ways.

How to Change Your Mac's Lock Screen Settings

macOS login screen with a background image of a chronologist's workshop

Your Mac's login screen or Lock Screen has settings you can change in System Settings (which you can access from the Apple menu in the menu bar). There's a dedicated Lock Screen section with options to add a custom message, place a password hint, and enable some accessibility settings.

However, many other Lock Screen customization components can be found dispersed across System Settings. For example, your Lock Screen background image mirrors your wallpaper, and you can add Touch ID to your Mac's login methods.

Apart from that, Most of your Mac's Lock Screen and login customization options fall under the group of settings Lock Screen, Touch ID & Passcode, and Users & Groups. All three of them follow each other in System Settings.

Use the Lock Screen Panel in System Settings

Lock Screen panel in the System Settings on macOS

System Settings > Lock Screen contains all the basic settings you need to make your Lock Screen as functional as you'd like. Here are the core functional settings you can set up in the Lock Screen panel:

  • Start Screen Saver when inactive: After setting up and customizing your Mac's screen saver, you can use the menu here to choose how long it should take before the screen saver starts. If the time here is more than it takes for your Mac to sleep, you'll see an alert message underneath.
  • Turn display off on battery when inactive: Choose a time from this menu to turn your display off when your MacBook is on battery power.
  • Turn display off on power adapter when inactive: Just like the one above, use the menu here to select how long it should take for your Mac's display to go off while plugged in.
  • Require password after screen saver begins or display is turned off: Use this option to demand a password after a certain time your screen saver begins or after your Mac's display turns off. You can use this option to add an extra layer of security to your Mac's Lock Screen.

The next section of the Lock Screen panel, When Switching User, focuses on the Lock Screen's UI, where you can switch users. Here's what its options do:

  • Login window shows: If you select List of Users, your Mac will display all the users on the Mac as a list with their profile picture on display. However, Name and Password will force users to type in their name and corresponding password instead of choosing from a list. So, all the users must know exactly what their usernames are.
  • Show the Sleep, Restart, and Shut Down buttons: Toggle this to show all the following buttons in the switching user Lock Screen.
  • Show password hints: Toggle this to display predefined password hints.

The remaining functional settings fall into the accessibility suite of settings.

Enable Accessibility Options in the Lock Screen Panel

You'll find all the accessibility toggles in a menu called Accessibility Options at the bottom of the panel. It contains essential accessibility tools like VoiceOver, Accessibility Keyboard, and Sticky Keys.

Accessibility menu in the Lock Screen panel of System Settings

If you've added multiple user accounts on your Mac, know that toggling on any of these settings will affect all the users on your Mac.

Add a Custom Message to the Lock Screen

You can add a custom message to the macOS Lock Screen. For instance, you might want to see your favorite motivational quote to start your day. Or, you could add your contact information, so an honest person who finds your Mac can contact you to return it.

Follow these steps to add a message to your Mac's Lock Screen:

  1. Go to Apple menu > System Settings from the menu bar, then select Lock Screen.
  2. Toggle on Show message when locked and then click Set.
  3. Enter the message you want to display on the login screen in the popup dialog box, then click OK.
Input box for setting a message to appear on your Mac's lock screen

The next time you open your Lock Screen or start up your Mac, you'll see your message at the bottom of the login window.

Change Your Mac's Profile Picture

By default, your profile picture shows right above your name. You can change it easily by following the steps below:

  1. Go to System Settings > Your Name.
  2. Move your cursor over the profile picture and click Edit when it appears.
  3. In the popup window, select the location of the image you would like to use or pick Camera to take one with your Mac's webcam. You also have the option to use a Memoji as your profile picture.
  4. Optionally, use the zoom slider to adjust the photo.
  5. Click Save.
Profile picture change dialogue box on macOS

If you're logged in to your Apple account, your profile picture will sync across all your devices using that Apple ID. You could also change your Mac's user profile picture by changing your Apple ID picture on your iPhone or iPad.

Log In With Your Apple Watch

While technically not a login screen "customization," there is another way to log into your Mac besides the automatic login or name and password options we've mentioned. If you have an Apple Watch that's paired to your iPhone, you can log in to your Mac with it too. Here's what you need to do:

  1. Go to System Settings > Touch ID & Passcode.
  2. Find the Apple Watch section at the bottom.
  3. Toggle the switch on the Apple Watch you want to use to unlock your Mac.
  4. You will be prompted for your password; enter it, and click Unlock.

You need to add a passcode to your Apple Watch for this feature to work.

Once you enable this feature and land on your Mac's login screen while wearing your Apple Watch, you'll see a brief message that says Unlocking with Apple Watch.

Give Your Mac Its Own Look and Feel

You can experiment with any of these options to discover what you like best on your Mac's login screen. And since the features are so easy to change, you can adjust them whenever you like.

Once you've got your macOS Lock Screen configured to your taste, you may want to explore some of your Mac's other personalization options.