Open Radar

 
Summary
After a macOS Software Update a Macs will now restart to a lock screen even if automatic login is enabled. For kiosks and Zoom Rooms this needlessly disrupts the automatic login process and now requires human intervention after every macOS update for every device.

Steps to Reproduce
1. Get an Apple Silicon Mac running macOS Sonoma
2. Enable automatic login on the Mac
3. Run Software Update to get up to the latest macOS (14.4.1 currently)
	3a. You can also do an MDM "Scheduled Update" with Sonoma, which is very nice
	3b. You can also `softwareupdate -iaR` and auth, to the same effect as the methods above
4. Upon restart, after the update being applied, the Mac will be at the Lock Screen despite automatic login being enabled.

Expected Results
One would expect the Mac to automatically login and run Login Items and be a in a usable state as it has done for years upon years (actually decades at this point!)

Actual Results
The Mac restarts to a lock screen despite automatic login being enabled. The Mac is not in a usable state like this when its purpose is a Zoom Room or kiosk. A technician  must be found to use Google Remote Desktop so the room is functional again. We have 68 Mac minis as Zoom Rooms scattered across the globe, in some locations that have no IT staff on-site.

Regression
This is wholly new to Sonoma. It has _never_ been the behavior of macOS to do this. I have tested this week with Big Sur, Monterey, and Ventura. I'm sure if I went back to 10.2 it'd be the same too. 

Workaround
No workaround has been found. I attempted one with a launchd to detect when the screen is locked but it proved ineffective. Lock screen status _is not cleared_ by either a reboot or cache cleaning. What relief can Apple offer? Some options: A) An "enhancement" back to the original behavior where automatic login truly works B) A way to suppress this behavior (MDM config profile or otherwise) C) A way to clear the lock screen state (and then reboot) or D) something else?

Discussion/Opinion
The new Scheduled Updates for MDM in Sonoma is awesome for Zoom Rooms and kiosks but it makes _no sense_ if it then requires a human to unlock the screens of each and every one them. This is a very disruptive change in behavior and does not fully take into account the multiple uses of a Mac, like a kiosk or Zoom Room with automatic login. Once considered, I think it's clear this needs to addressed in some way for enterprises trying to use Macs at scale. If not, it only makes the case for utilizing single purpose devices like Logitech's Zoom Room appliances if the Mac mini requires more "care and feeding" than the competing product.