Lock Screen help

[Howard Brazee]

My wife wants her Ventura M1 iMac to always boot up to her home screen without her entering her password.
She also wants to wake it from sleeping or screen saver without her entering her password.

She doesn't mind using her fingerprint or Apple Watch, but can't turn them on if her Mac boots to her account.

I also have an account on her computer.

If she has to, she will give up being able to use her fingerprint, but we haven't figured out how to avoid typing her password when waking up.

Are we missing something?

 

[Rod]

Howard the M1 will occasionally require the password to be typed even if the Apple Watch and Fingerprint are set to unlock the device.
Having said that 95% of the time I do not need to type in a password however, I don't turn the device off and I am the only user.
Here are the settings on my M1 MBP essentially if I'm not wearing my watch it will use fingerprint;



If you switch users or turn the device off it's only logical that the first login would require a typed password unless you turn that option off. This can be done in Users and Groups settings but only for one user and it defeats the whole point of security of any kind. I would strongly advise against that.

 

[MacInWin]

Howard, she can change the settings for her account in Settings/Users & Groups/<<her account>>/turn ON the "Automatically log in as" option. However, what that means is that when YOU want to get to your account, you will have to let it boot into her account, then click the  icon upper left and log her out, which should end up at the login screen where you can log in. Then you log out and it goes back to the login screen where she will have to log in again, or you can shut it down, then power it back on and it will log into her account. Of course, doing that basically destroys any security on the system, and she will still have to enter her password to make certain changes, or to perform some actions, such as installing an app, or deleting some documents/files.

As Rod said, it is NOT GOOD practice to turn automatic login on.

You can eliminate the requirement for a password to wake it up in Settings/Lock Screen and change the setting for "Require password after screen saver...." to "Never." Again, strongly not recommended. But I realize the importance of domestic tranquility, so...

Edit: I would also second the recommendation from Rod to add your finger to her account so that the touch ID works for you when you need it. That's a much better solution that killing the security.

 

[IWT]

But I realize the importance of domestic tranquility,

Oh yes!

Ian

 

[toMACsh]

I shut down frequently. I never have to enter a password when rebooting. Last I checked (yesterday) all $1 million saved is still in my retirement account.

Only two people ever use this Mac. Only three are frequently in close proximity to it. The only occasional users have not been here since before the pandemic started. This Mac is secure. I sleep at night, no worries.

 

[Howard Brazee]

Her iMac doesn't leave her desk. She decided this morning to never (well, hardly ever) shut down her computer. She will use her finger or watch to unlock it when it's asleep. My fingerprint was added.

I did notice that when her computer is turned on, only her ID is shown.

 

[MacInWin]

I did notice that when her computer is turned on, only her ID is shown.

Curious. Do you actually HAVE an account? It should show on the login screen, but not on any wake up screen.

 

[Rod]

Maybe "Automatically Login As" is turned on for wife? In that case only one option would show but without a second account on mine that's hard to test.

 

[MacInWin]

Maybe "Automatically Login As" is turned on for wife? In that case only one option would show but without a second account on mine that's hard to test.

No, if it's turned on, she would not see any login prompt on boot. Yes, there could be a prompt on wake from sleep, unless the settings were set to turn that off.

On my system there are two accounts, I don't use automatic login, so on boot, I see both. I select the one I want and provide the password. Then when it sleeps and I wake it, it asks for that account password again, not the other. Only if I log out the account will the other appear.

 

[Rod]

I really think the settings as posted in my screen shot are about as good as you can get it on a shared device combining a good level of security and auto login functions and just use Fast User Switching to change users.

 

[ferrarr]

 icon upper left and log her out,

There is another option, use Fast User Switching. It's in Settings > Control Center.

 

[Howard Brazee]

Curious. Do you actually HAVE an account? It should show on the login screen, but not on any wake up screen.

Yes. I can switch accounts when she's logged in. If I log off of my account, I get a screen with both of our faces and a check next to her face. I have to enter her password to get back to her status.

But when her computer reboots, only her face is there, and we have to enter her password.

Right now, when her computer sleeps, she can open it with her fingerprint or Apple Watch (or password).

 

[MacInWin]

Yes. I can switch accounts when she's logged in. If I log off of my account, I get a screen with both of our faces and a check next to her face. I have to enter her password to get back to her status.

But when her computer reboots, only her face is there, and we have to enter her password.

Right now, when her computer sleeps, she can open it with her fingerprint or Apple Watch (or password).

OK, that is how it works. To avoid her having to enter the password on boot, go to post #3 and follow the directions to change the requirement in Settings. That should then log her in on every boot, and for you to get to your account, she will have to log out so you can log in.

 

[ferrarr]

she will have to log out so you can log in.

Again, there is no need to log out. Both user accounts can be logged in at the same time.

 

[MacInWin]

Again, there is no need to log out. Both user accounts can be logged in at the same time.

Using Fast User Switching, yes, that is true. But in Ventura, you have to authorize FUS in Settings to be in the Control Center or on the Top Menu.