How to Create a New User Account on Your Mac

Sharing your Mac with a family member or roommate using a single account is a recipe for disaster. Not only does it blend your browser histories, email accounts, and iCloud files, but it also increases the risk of someone accidentally deleting your important documents. By creating separate user accounts, macOS ensures that each person has their own secure, isolated workspace complete with their own passwords, desktop backgrounds, and system preferences.

macOS allows you to create different types of accounts, ranging from full Administrators to restricted Standard users, depending on how much control you want the new user to have over the system.

This guide explains how to properly set up a new user account on your Mac.

Step 1: Access the Users & Groups Settings

You must be logged into an account with Administrator privileges (usually the primary account created when the Mac was first purchased) to add a new user.

1. Click the Apple Logo in the top-left corner of your screen.
2. Select System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions of macOS) from the drop-down menu.
3. In the left sidebar, scroll down and click on Users & Groups.
4. Click the Add Account… button on the right side of the window. You will be prompted to enter your Mac administrator password (or use Touch ID) to unlock the settings.

Step 2: Choose the Account Type

Before filling in the user’s name, you must select their permission level from the “New Account” drop-down menu:

• Administrator: This user will have full control over the Mac. They can install software, change critical system settings, and even delete other user accounts. Only give this to trusted individuals.
• Standard: This is the recommended option for most users (like children or guests). Standard users can install apps from the App Store and change their own desktop settings, but they cannot alter system-wide configurations or access other users’ files without an Administrator’s password.
• Sharing Only: This account cannot physically log into the Mac. It is only used to grant someone remote access to specific shared files over a local network.

Step 3: Fill in the User Details

Once you have selected the appropriate account type, you need to create their credentials.

1. Full Name: Enter the person’s real name (e.g., “John Doe”).
2. Account Name: This is a short, lowercase version of the name used for their home folder (e.g., “johndoe”). macOS will generate this automatically, but you can edit it now. Note: You cannot easily change the Account Name later, so make sure it is correct.
3. Password: Type a secure password for the new user, and type it again in the Verify box.
4. Password Hint: (Optional) Enter a hint that will help the user remember their password if they forget it.
5. Click Create User.

The new account is now active. To switch to it, click the Apple Logo, select Log Out, and you will see the new user available on the Mac login screen.