Personalising Your Mac
Every time you turn on your Mac, wake it from sleep, or lock your screen, you are greeted by the login screen. By default, Apple assigns a generic icon to your user profile—often a silhouette of a person, a flower, or a generic abstract shape.
Because the login screen is the very first thing you see when you sit down to work, customising this picture is one of the easiest ways to make your Mac feel truly personal. If you share your computer with family members or colleagues, giving each user a distinct photo also makes it much faster to click the correct profile when signing in.
Apple allows you to change this picture to a personal photograph, a custom Memoji avatar, or even a short looping video clip.
How to Change Your Login Picture in macOS System Settings
If you are running macOS Ventura, Sonoma, or a newer operating system, the process is handled through the modern System Settings app.
- Click the Apple Logo in the extreme top left corner of your screen.
- Select System Settings from the dropdown menu.
- In the left-hand sidebar, scroll down and click on Users & Groups.
- You will see a list of all accounts on your Mac. Click the small “i” (Information) button next to your specific username.
- A window will pop up showing your current profile picture. Hover your mouse over the picture, and the word Edit will appear. Click it.
You are now in the profile picture selection screen. From here, you have several distinct options for what to use as your new image.
Option 1: Create an Animated Memoji
If you do not want to use a real photograph of yourself, a Memoji is a fantastic alternative. These are Apple’s customisable 3D avatars.
In the selection screen, click the Memoji tab. You can either select a pre-made animal (like the shark, fox, or alien) or click the plus (+) button to design a character that looks exactly like you. The best part about using a Memoji is that it is animated on the login screen. It will look around, blink, and even look down in disappointment if you type your password incorrectly.
Option 2: Take a Selfie Using Your Webcam
If you want a quick photograph without searching through your hard drive, you can use the Mac’s built-in camera.
Click the Camera tab. A small preview window will open showing your webcam feed. Line yourself up in the circle, smile, and click the white shutter button to take a photo. If you do not like the result, you can instantly retake it.
Option 3: Use an Existing Photo
If you already have a professional headshot or a favourite picture of your pet saved on your computer, you can easily import it.
Click the Photos tab to browse the images stored in your Apple Photos app. Alternatively, if the picture is saved on your desktop or in a random folder, simply open Finder, grab the image file, and drag and drop it directly onto the circular preview window in the System Settings app.
Finalising the Change
Once you have selected or uploaded your new image, you will see a preview circle. You can click and drag the image to reposition it, or use the slider bar at the bottom to zoom in and out until it is perfectly framed.
When you are satisfied with how it looks, click the blue Save button in the bottom right corner.
To test it and see your new login picture in action immediately, click the Apple Logo in the top left corner of your screen and select Lock Screen.
