macOS · Accounts & Family

Add & Manage Accounts On This Mac

Users & Groups lets you create additional accounts for other people who use this Mac, decide whether each one is an administrator or a standard user, and organize accounts into groups for permission purposes. It's the foundation for keeping multiple people's files and settings separate on a shared Mac.

How to open Users & Groups

  1. Open System Settings → Users & Groups.
  2. Click 'Add Account' and choose the account type.
  3. Enter a name, account name, and password for the new user.
  4. Set the account's permission level (Standard or Administrator) and click 'Create User'.

What you should know

  • Create standard, administrator, or Sharing Only user accounts.
  • Set up a Guest User account that doesn't require a password and clears its data on logout.
  • Choose which apps and content a managed or child account can access.
  • Configure automatic login for a specific user account at startup.

Every Mac needs at least one administrator account — don't demote the only admin account to standard, or you can lock yourself out of key settings.

Why it matters

Giving each person their own account keeps files, browser history, and settings private on a shared Mac, and limiting most accounts to standard permissions reduces the damage malware or accidental changes can do. A Mac with only one shared admin account for the whole household is much easier to misconfigure or compromise.

Best practices

  • Keep only one or two administrator accounts and make everyone else a standard user.
  • Use Screen Time and content restrictions on child accounts instead of sharing an adult's login.
  • Remove accounts for people who no longer use the Mac rather than leaving them dormant.

Common problems and fixes

A standard user can't install an app or change a system setting.
This is expected — have an administrator enter their password when prompted, or temporarily grant the user admin rights in Users & Groups if appropriate.
Deleting a user account asks whether to keep their home folder.
Choose 'Keep the home folder' if you might need their files later, or save it as a disk image; only choose delete if you're certain the data isn't needed.

Tips and tricks

  • Enable Fast User Switching from the menu bar to jump between accounts without fully logging out.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between a standard and administrator account?

Administrators can install software, change system-wide settings, and manage other user accounts, while standard users can use installed apps and personal settings but need an admin password for system-level changes.

Can two people be logged in at the same time?

Yes, macOS supports Fast User Switching, which keeps one user's session running in the background while another logs in.

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