Windows 11 includes a feature called “Fast User Switching.” When you boot up your computer or press Windows Key + L to lock it, the login screen displays the avatars and names of every other user account configured on that PC in the bottom-left corner. This allows you to quickly switch to another profile without logging the current user out.
However, in a corporate environment, a school lab, or even a shared apartment, you may not want a complete list of every user broadcasted on the lock screen for privacy and security reasons. If a malicious actor doesn’t know valid usernames, they have a much harder time guessing passwords. By disabling Fast User Switching, you can force the lock screen to only display the last logged-in user.
How to Hide Other Users on the Windows 11 Lock Screen
You must use the Local Group Policy Editor to disable the user switching interface.
- Click the Start button, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
- In the left-hand navigation tree, drill down through the following path: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Logon
- Once you click on the Logon folder, look at the list of policies in the right-hand pane.
- Find and double-click the policy named Hide entry points for Fast User Switching.
- In the window that appears, change the radio button from “Not Configured” to Enabled.
- Click Apply, then click OK.
- Restart your computer to ensure the policy applies to the login screen.
The next time the computer boots up, the bottom-left corner of the login screen will be completely empty. The list of alternative user accounts is hidden, significantly improving the baseline privacy of the shared computer.