The fastest way to change your lock screen picture on Mac

Your Mac's lock screen picture comes from your user account profile picture, and changing it takes about one minute. Open System Settings (the gear icon in your dock or Applications folder), click General in the left sidebar, then click About. You'll see your current profile picture in the top left corner — click it, choose Edit Picture, and select a new image from your Photos library or files. Click Set, and the change appears on your lock screen the next time you lock your Mac.

If you want a lock screen image that's different from your profile picture — something that doesn't show your face, for instance — you can set a separate lock screen wallpaper. That's a different process, covered below.

Key Takeaways

  • Your lock screen picture is your user account profile picture, changed through System Settings > General > About.
  • You can also set a separate lock screen wallpaper that displays behind the login window without changing your profile picture.
  • Lock screen wallpapers are set through System Settings > Lock Screen and explore to all user accounts on your Mac.
  • Profile pictures must be square images; Mac will crop rectangular photos automatically.

Changing your profile picture through System Settings

The profile picture you see on your Mac's lock screen is stored in your user account settings. To change it, go to System Settings and select General from the sidebar. Click the About tab, and your profile picture appears as a circular image in the top left corner of the window.

Click directly on the picture. A menu appears with two options: Edit Picture and Remove Picture. Choose Edit Picture. Your Mac opens a dialog showing your Photos library and recent files. Select any image you want — it can be a photo from your library, a screenshot, or any file on your computer. Once you select it, click Set. The new picture appears when ready on your lock screen.

If you want to remove your picture entirely and show just your username on the lock screen, click the profile picture again and select Remove Picture. Your lock screen will display your account name without an image.

Setting a separate lock screen wallpaper

If you want a different image behind your login window — one that doesn't show your profile picture at all — you can set a lock screen wallpaper. This is separate from your profile picture and applies to all accounts on your Mac. Go to System Settings, click Lock Screen in the sidebar, and you'll see a preview of your current lock screen at the top.

Click the preview image or the Add button below it. Your Mac shows a gallery of built-in wallpapers and lets you browse your own photos. Select any image and click Set as Lock Screen. The wallpaper appears behind your login window and profile picture the next time you lock your Mac.

You can set different wallpapers for different times of day — for example, a bright image during the day and a darker one at night. Click the dropdown menu at the top of the Lock Screen settings and choose Light, Dark, or Auto to control when each wallpaper displays.

What image formats and sizes work best

Your Mac accepts most common image formats for profile pictures: JPEG, PNG, HEIC, and TIFF all work. The image doesn't have to be square, but your Mac will crop it to a circle, so make sure the part you want to see is centered. If you upload a rectangular photo, Mac automatically crops it from the center outward.

For lock screen wallpapers, use images at least 1440 pixels wide — larger images display more clearly on modern Mac screens. Very small images (under 800 pixels) may appear blurry or pixelated when stretched across your screen.

Troubleshooting: picture won't change or won't save

If you click Set but your profile picture doesn't change, make sure you're logged in with an administrator account. Standard user accounts can change their own profile picture, but some older Macs require admin rights. Check your account type by going to System Settings > General > Users & Groups (or About on newer macOS versions).

If the image appears on your profile but not on the lock screen, restart your Mac. Sometimes the lock screen cache doesn't update when ready. Shut down completely, wait a few seconds, and turn your Mac back on. The new picture should appear when you lock the screen.

If you're trying to use an image from an external drive or cloud service, copy it to your Mac's local storage first. Images stored only on external drives or in some cloud folders may not display reliably on the lock screen.

Changing your picture on a shared Mac

If multiple people use your Mac, each account has its own profile picture. When you log in with your account and change your picture through System Settings, only your lock screen changes — other users' pictures stay the same. Each person can set their own profile picture independently.

If you're an administrator and want to change another user's picture, go to System Settings > General > Users & Groups, select the account you want to modify, and click the profile picture to edit it. Standard users can only change their own picture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a photo from the internet as my lock screen picture?

Yes. Right-click the image in your web browser, select Save Image As, and save it to your Downloads folder or Desktop. Then follow the steps above to set it as your profile picture or lock screen wallpaper. Make sure you have permission to use the image.

Why does my profile picture look different on the lock screen than in System Settings?

Your profile picture is displayed as a circle on the lock screen, so Mac crops rectangular images from the center. If the edges of your photo are cut off, try uploading a square image instead, or make sure the part you want visible is centered in the original photo.

Can I set different lock screen pictures for different times of day?

Yes, but only for lock screen wallpapers, not profile pictures. Go to System Settings > Lock Screen, set multiple wallpapers, and choose Auto from the dropdown menu at the top. Mac will switch between them based on sunrise and sunset.

What happens to my profile picture if I update macOS?

Your profile picture stays the same when you update macOS. System updates don't remove or reset user account pictures. Your lock screen will display the same image after the update completes.

Can I remove my profile picture entirely?

Yes. Go to System Settings > General > About, click your profile picture, and select Remove Picture. Your lock screen will show only your username without an image. You can add a picture back anytime by following the same steps.