How to set a custom text to a Mac login screen

If you are not logged in to a user account on Mac, you will be able to see the login screen on the Mac. The login screen provides the names of the user accounts created on that particular Mac, and you can log in to one of them if you know that user’s login details.

The login screen also provides a text message and the user’s name. Mac provides a text message by default on the login screen. However, you can change this text message on the login screen if you want. To know how to do that, continue reading. There are two ways to set a custom text on the Mac login screen. One way is by using the system preferences, and the other way is by using the terminal app of the Mac.

Using system preferences:

1. First, click on the Apple icon to open the Apple menu. You will find the Apple icon in the top-left corner of the screen in the menu bar.
2. A drop-down menu will open. You need to click on the ‘security and privacy’ option from this menu to open it.
3. A window titled “Security and Privacy” will open. On this window, click on the tab named ‘general.’
4. You will see a lock-shaped icon in the bottom-left corner of the ‘general’ tab. Beside this lock will be written “click the lock to make changes. All you need to do is click on this lock icon.
5. A dialog box will now open asking you, the administrator, for the username and password. Provide these details in the dialog box.
6. After providing these details, click on the ‘unlock’ option in the dialog box.
7. Check if the checkbox beside it that says “show a message when the screen is locked” is check marked. You should click on the checkbox to put a checkmark on it if it is not check marked.
8. Beside this checkbox, you will see a button labeled ‘set lock message.’ You need to click on this button.
9. A small window appears. In this window, write the custom message/text you want to set to the Mac login screen.
10. Now, click on the ‘ok’ button in the window.
11. You will now see the custom text on the Mac login screen when you are next logged out of your user account.

Using the terminal:

1. In the Mac dock, click on the ‘launchpad’ icon. You will now see a search bar. Click on it and then type “Terminal.” You will now see the terminal app displayed on the screen below the search bar. Click on the terminal app to open it.
2. In the terminal app, what you need to do is type a command. The command is: sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow LoginwindowText “here, type the custom text that you want to set on the Mac login screen.”
3. Remember to replace the “here, type the custom text that you want to set on the Mac login screen” part in the above command with the message (within double quotes) that you want on the Mac login screen.
4. Now, press the return button on the keyboard.
5. It might ask you for the administrator password. Provide the password and press the return button on the keyboard.
6. You are done setting the custom text to the Mac login screen.

Revert to default

If you want to change the text that appears on the Mac login screen to the default text instead of the custom text, you can also do this. Just follow the steps given under the “using the terminal” heading in this article but in the command where you have to write a custom text within double-quotes, write nothing within double-quotes. Once you finish the rest of the steps, the default text will appear again on the Mac login screen.