A custom macOS lock screen greeting - finally a home for it.
Porchlight replaces your Mac's default lock screen message with something personal - a time-aware greeting, a favourite quote, or just your name.
Why I built Porchlight
macOS already lets you set a lock screen message - it's right in System Settings → Lock Screen. But once you set it, that text just sits there until you go back and change it yourself.
Buried in System Settings
Located within Lock Screen options.
Static - same message forever
No dynamic updates or rotation available.
No scheduling or personality
Manual updates only. No time-aware logic.
Locked behind menus
When you unlock your Mac,
it should say something worth reading.
WITHOUT PORCHLIGHT
- closeA static line of text you set once and forget.
- closeSystem Settings navigation every time you want a change.
- closeThe same "If found, call..." message at 8AM and 8PM.
WITH PORCHLIGHT
- check_circleYour lock screen knows what time it is - the lock screen message should too.
- check_circleAn app built for your greeting, not a toggle buried in Lock Screen.
- check_circleCurated daily quotes or random personal notes.
Static
A custom static welcome message set by you
Time-Based
Different messages for different times of day. Set them once and Porchlight handles the switching.
Quote
Choose whether to include the 100+ bundled quotes and also setup your own. See a new quote at every lock, once an hour or once a day.
Pay once. Yours forever.
Porchlight
$4.99
Download and use forever
- checkUnlimited Greeting Changes
- checkTime-Aware Scheduling
- checkQuote Library Support
- checkPrivacy-First (Local Only)
About custom Mac lock screen greetings
How do I set a custom message on my Mac's lock screen?
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macOS has a built-in option under System Settings → Lock Screen → "Show message when locked." It accepts a single static line of text up to 204 characters. Porchlight writes to that same field on your behalf so the message can rotate or change with the time of day. You may also see this called the Mac login screen greeting or login message — they refer to the same built-in feature.
Can the Mac lock screen message change throughout the day?
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Not on its own - the built-in macOS field is static. Porchlight adds time-aware scheduling so your greeting can shift from "Good morning" to "Good afternoon" to "Good evening" automatically, or rotate through a quote library at every lock, hour, or day.
How is Porchlight different from the built-in Lock Screen setting?
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The built-in setting is one static line you have to dig into System Settings to change. Porchlight gives that field a real home: time-aware greetings, a quote library of 100+ bundled lines, and your own custom notes - all updated automatically.
Which versions of macOS does Porchlight support?
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Porchlight runs on macOS 11 (Big Sur) and later, including Sonoma, Sequoia, and Tahoe. It requires an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or later).
Is Porchlight private? What does it access?
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Everything stays on your Mac. The only network request Porchlight ever makes is a one-time license validation - no accounts, no analytics, no telemetry. It only writes to the lock screen message field; it never reads your other files.