One method to personalize your Mac beyond just changing the desktop wallpaper is to modify your lock screen wallpaper, which appears when you log out and log back in, wake from the screen saver, or restart your Mac.

If you’ve noticed, altering the desktop wallpaper on your Mac causes the login screen wallpaper to change accordingly. While some users might be satisfied with this level of personalization, it’s possible to set two distinct images for these backgrounds.

Here’s how you can adjust the login screen wallpaper on macOS Sonoma and Ventura:

How to Set a Unique Lock Screen Wallpaper on macOS Sonoma & Ventura

Would you like to use a separate wallpaper for your lock screen compared to your desktop wallpaper? This is quite simple. Follow these steps:

1. Find the photo or image you wish to use as your lock screen wallpaper on your Mac and open it in Preview.

2. From the File menu, select "Export," name the file "lockscreen.png," choose PNG as the file format, and save it in a noticeable location like the Desktop.

3. Open Finder on your Mac.

4. Use the "Go" menu to select "Go To Folder," or press Command Shift G to open the Go To Folder window.

5. Input the following directory path: /Library/Caches/Desktop Pictures/

6. Inside this folder, you'll discover a hexadecimal folder named after a unique identifier, such as "84C3B4814B3CA826140DB1." Navigate into this folder and locate a 'lockscreen.png' file.

7. Drag and drop the 'lockscreen.png' file you created in step 2 into this folder, replacing the existing 'lockscreen.png' file—this may require authentication via Touch ID or an administrator password.

8. Once done, the next time you encounter the lock screen while switching users quickly, using the screen saver, or at startup, you'll notice the newly customized wallpaper on your Mac's lock screen.

This customization will remain until you alter the wallpaper on your Mac via System Settings, at which point it will revert to the previously set image. However, you can repeat the steps outlined above to update the lock screen PNG file whenever desired.

You can opt for any wallpaper image you prefer. Below is an example featuring the default wallpaper in macOS Ventura:

And here’s an example of a custom lock screen wallpaper differing from the desktop wallpaper:

By following these instructions, you can set unique images for both the lock screen/login screen wallpaper and the desktop wallpaper on your Mac. This mirrors the capability to set different wallpapers on the iPhone’s Home Screen and Lock Screen (which also applies to iPads). Given its appeal, it’s likely that Apple will eventually provide a built-in feature to achieve this directly within System Settings on the latest macOS versions.

Previous versions of macOS and Mac OS X included methods to change the login screen wallpaper, but the filenames and directory paths differed (such as 'com.apple.desktop.admin.png' rather than 'lockscreen.png'), along with the overall procedure. For those interested, you can refer to this article to learn how it functioned prior to macOS Ventura. However, this older approach doesn’t apply to macOS Ventura or newer.

*Alternatively, you can convert the image to PNG using a Quick Action, Preview, or any preferred method. The image must be a PNG and should match or exceed your screen resolution.

Do you enjoy customizing your lock screen wallpaper on your Mac? Do you have another technique for setting different wallpapers for the lock screen and desktop background on your Mac? Share your experiences in the comments.

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