Real screenshot · MacBook Neo, macOS 27.0.1In short
Choose Apple menu > System Settings…, scroll down the sidebar and click Users & Groups, then Add User…. Enter your password and click Unlock. Apple says you then choose Standard, enter the person's name and a password, and click Create User.
Well, a Mac shared by the whole family soon ends up with someone else's wallpaper on it. A separate account gives another person their own desktop, files, browser history and settings, and your files stay private from them.
5 of 7 steps show a real screenshot from our MacBook Neo.
Steps
- 1
Open System Settings
Click the Apple menu and choose System Settings….
- 2
Click Users & Groups
Scroll down the sidebar and click Users & Groups, or type it in the Search field at the top of the sidebar.
On our MacBook Neo, Users & Groups sits just below Touch ID & Password, under Lock Screen and Privacy & Security.
- 3
Click Add User…
Click Add User… below the list of users.
On our MacBook Neo, Add User… sits next to Add Group…, with Guest User shown as Off.
- 4
Enter your password and click Unlock
On our MacBook Neo the prompt reads "Users & Groups is trying to unlock system settings."
Type your administrator password in the Password field and click Unlock.
- 5
Choose the account type
Apple says to open the New User menu and choose a type of user.
Standard suits most people. Administrator can also add and manage other users, so give it only to someone you trust with the whole Mac.
- 6
Fill in name and password
Apple says to type the full name; the account name is filled in for you.
Set a password and a hint, then click Create User.
- 7
Switch between users
Click the Apple menu and choose Log Out, the last item, then the other person logs in with their account.
On our MacBook Neo, Log Out sits just below Lock Screen and uses the shortcut ⇧⌘Q.
If you do not see this option
- Add User… asks for a password you do not have On our MacBook Neo, clicking Add User… opens a prompt asking for a password to unlock system settings. Apple says you must be an administrator of the Mac to add users, so ask the person with an administrator account to do it. Sources: Add a user or group on Mac, Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac (macOS Big Sur 11)
- Users & Groups is not in view in the sidebar Scroll down the sidebar: on our MacBook Neo it sits below Touch ID & Password. You can also type Users & Groups in the Search field at the top of the sidebar.
- There is no Add User button Apple says that on older versions such as macOS Big Sur you choose System Preferences, Users & Groups, click the lock at the bottom left to unlock it, then click the Add button below the list of users. The type menu there is called New Account. Sources: Add a user or group on Mac, Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac (macOS Big Sur 11)
If this does not work
- The account name is wrong I am afraid this one sticks. Apple says the account name can't be changed later, so type the one you want before you click Create User.
- The new user cannot reach your shared files Apple says you may need to change File Sharing, Screen Sharing or Remote Management settings.
- The new user wants Touch ID That part is theirs to do, just like choosing their own wallpaper. Apple says a new user adds a fingerprint after logging in to the Mac.
Good to know
For a visitor who needs the Mac briefly, use the Guest User instead: click the i next to Guest User and allow guests to log in. Their files are deleted when they log out.
For a child, create a Standard account, then set limits under System Settings, Screen Time.
To remove an account, click the i next to it and choose Delete User. You are asked whether to keep or delete their files, so pause on that one.
Only lending the Mac for an hour? How to let someone use your Mac safely with the Guest User.
Make every user type their name at login: how to make a Mac ask for both name and password at login.
macOS 27 compared with macOS 26: We rewrote this guide on macOS 27.0.1 (MacBook Neo): it now has 7 steps instead of 5. The macOS 26 page keeps the steps and screenshots as they were.
Version history: the macOS 26 version of this guide, with its own screenshots.
About this guide
- Device
- Mac
- Shown on
- macOS 27.0.1 (MacBook Neo)
- App
- System Settings
- Real screenshots
- 5 of 7 steps
- Checked
- October 2026
- Sources
- 2 official, linked below
Sources
Links checked October 2026. Menus and features can change with updates.Did this guide work for you?
Sorry about that. What happened?