How to Customize the Login Screen Background

The login screen background is the first thing users see when they boot up their computer or wake it from sleep. Customizing the login screen background can make your computer feel more personal and reflect your own style. In this tutorial, you will learn how to customize the login screen background on different operating systems: Windows, macOS, and Ubuntu.

Windows

Method 1: Using Settings

1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard and type "Settings". Open the Settings app from the search results.
2. In the Settings window, click on Personalization.
3. On the left sidebar, click on Lock screen.
4. Scroll down and click on the Browse button under the Background section.
5. Choose an image from your computer to set as the login screen background. You can also select a slideshow of multiple images or use Windows Spotlight to automatically choose a new image for you.
6. Close the Settings app.

Method 2: Using Registry Editor

1. Press Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog.
2. Type regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
3. Navigate to the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\Background.
4. Look for the OEMBackground DWORD value on the right pane. If it doesn't exist, right-click on an empty space, select New, and then click on DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it OEMBackground.
5. Double-click on OEMBackground and set its value to 1.
6. Close the Registry Editor.
7. Go to C:\Windows\System32\oobe\info\backgrounds folder. If the backgrounds folder doesn't exist, create it manually.
8. Copy the desired image you want to use as the login screen background into the backgrounds folder. Rename the image as backgroundDefault.jpg.
9. Restart your computer to see the changes.

macOS

Method 1: Using System Preferences

1. Click on the Apple menu on the top-left corner of the screen and select System Preferences.
2. In System Preferences, click on Desktop & Screen Saver.
3. Select the Desktop tab.
4. Click on the "+" button to add a new desktop background.
5. Browse and choose the image you want to set as the login screen background.
6. Adjust the image position and screen display settings to your preference.
7. Close System Preferences.

Method 2: Using Terminal

1. Open the Terminal app from Applications > Utilities.
2. Type the following command and press Enter:

   sudo cp [image_path] /Library/Caches/com.apple.desktop.admin.png
   

   Replace [image_path] with the path to the image you want to use.
3. Enter your admin password when prompted.
4. Restart your Mac to apply the changes.

Ubuntu

Method 1: Using Login Screen Settings

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+T to open the Terminal.
2. Type the following command and press Enter to edit the LightDM GTK configuration file:

   sudo gedit /etc/lightdm/slick-greeter.conf
   

   If you are using a different text editor, replace gedit with the name of your preferred editor.
3. Look for the line starting with background=. Uncomment it (remove the # at the beginning) if it exists, and set the path to your desired image.
4. Save the file and close the text editor.
5. Restart your computer to see the changes.

Method 2: Replacing the Background Image

1. Locate the image you want to use as the login screen background.
2. Open the Terminal.
3. Type the following command and press Enter:

   sudo mv [image_path] /usr/share/backgrounds/warty-final-ubuntu.png
   

   Replace [image_path] with the path to the image you want to use.
4. Enter your password when prompted.
5. Restart your computer to apply the changes.

Now you know how to customize the login screen background on Windows, macOS, and Ubuntu. Personalize your device and make it truly yours!