Random changes in User Lock Screen photo, Family Sharing organizer name and images on Mac mini

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Level 1

68 points

Random changes in User Lock Screen photo, Family Sharing organizer name and images on Mac mini

I have a Mac mini (2024 M4 24/512 OS15.6.1) that will change User Lock Screen Photo, name of Family Sharing Organizer (Apple+...) and Images of Family Sharing Organizer at random times.

It will use my name &/or the Mrs's name with random image each time it changes. The Lock Screen may or may not have the intended user image but my password always works. The Touch ID has failed and this makes me suspect it might be either a hardware issue or corrupted doc somewhere, or both - but where?

Each of our phones (both 11) will remain the same unchanged user name and image but not in the Contacts list nor Sharing lists. I have tried to use one of three images of myself & Mrs to take note of the source of the changes but no real pattern has formed.

I have tried to change (correct each name, image) each time it changes as I discover the errors however it may only take effect for minutes to hours. No guarantee if the same name or image will be used / selected each time. At the moment I am not mentioned on the Family Sharing however my wife's name and image are using my email as the Organizer. I have been and remain the organizer but my name & image will randomly switch yet email / Apple ID remain the same.

Within Contacts if I choose "This is My Card" has no effect on names, images and activity. I have selected 3 images to place in each pesky area to try and discover the elusive pattern.

I would like to not scrub it clean if possible but if a simple "over sharing" or suspicious item might be at fault, I'm all ears. I have also tried to avoid deleting as much as possible to hopefully prevent turning the Mac into a brick state or fishing weight.

Today I tried to edit an address contact with an updated image and this also failed - the image would display for a few minutes to an hour and then vanish.

I have been fooling with this for some time and trying to avoid getting drastic before I obtain another back up storage drive of some sort. I had felt some progress a few weeks ago when the Mac would start to offer the same User & Password combination within Safari on web sites but it has reverted to just one lately - the wrong one of course.

Last tidbit to complete my vent - There is no other user from the Lock Screen - just me not The Mrs nor guest...

20250821

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: User sign-in random changes

Mac mini, macOS 15.6

Posted on Aug 21, 2025 1:31 AM

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Answer 1

Don Mclellan Author

Level 1

68 points

Aug 21, 2025 5:59 AM in response to muguy

That is what I thought at first having both our phone numbers in the same Address Book / Contacts as unique cards however this does not make sense to not have Mrs. in my favourites OR not Family Sharing - this would certainly harsh her mellow.

Perhaps this mightfrom migrating from the pesky intel iMac to the mini where we likely had two users on that Mac?! It's been years and I don't recall if we ever used both our "names". The Lock Screen on the mini has only me and nothing else - I never had the presence of mind to ponder that but just looking at the folder of users:

users > deleted users > dmm (from old iMac and not used, pretty much dust in there)

> don (me)

> shared (empty)

Thinking out loud, aside from perhaps eliminating her mention in my address book (before she catches on) and me from hers with any Family Sharing (I hope any of her purchased content will survive) and reboot everything.

[Edited by Moderator]

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Answer 2

muguy

Level 10

90,860 points

Aug 21, 2025 4:16 AM in response to Don Mclellan

Are you sharing an Apple Account? It sounds as if you may be based on what you described. Apple Accounts are intended for individuals only and not meant to be shared.

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