Sharing one Mac with family is much easier when everyone has their own user account. Each person gets their own desktop, documents, photos, browser bookmarks, and settings, and nobody has to worry about moving someone else’s files or seeing their private messages. Your child’s homework stays separate from your work files, and your partner’s wallpaper choices do not take over your screen.
Creating a new account takes only a few minutes in System Settings, and you do not need to buy or install anything. This guide explains the account types you can choose, the exact steps on a modern Mac, how to set a good password, and how to switch between accounts without logging everyone else out.
Quick Answer
Go to System Settings, then Users and Groups, click Add User, unlock with your administrator password, and enter the new person’s name, account name, and password. Choose Standard for most family members, then click Create User. The new account appears on the login screen straight away, and the person can sign in and set up their own desktop.
Before You Start: What You Need
You need to be signed in with an administrator account to add a user. The first account created when the Mac was set up is almost always an administrator, so if this is your own family Mac, you probably already have what you need. If the Mac belongs to a school or an employer, you may not have permission, and you should ask the person who manages it instead.
Decide two things first. Agree on a full name and a short account name with no spaces, because that name becomes their home folder and cannot be changed easily later. Agree on a first password too, hand it over in person, and let them change it after signing in. Remember that all accounts share one disk, so photo libraries add up.
Understanding the Types of User Account
macOS offers several account types, and choosing the right one at the start saves trouble later. Apple summarises them in its guide to the types of users you can set up on a Mac, and the three below cover almost every family situation.
Administrator
An administrator can install apps, change settings for every user, and create or delete other accounts. Keep the number of administrators small. One or two trusted adults is plenty. Giving a child administrator access removes most of the protection that a separate account is meant to provide.
Standard
A Standard account is the right choice for most family members. The person can install apps for their own use in many cases, change their own settings, and manage all their own files. They cannot change other users’ files or important system settings without an administrator password. If in doubt, choose Standard. You can always promote an account later.
Sharing Only and Groups
A Sharing Only account cannot sign in at the Mac itself. It exists only so someone can connect over your home network to share files or share the screen. It is useful for a grandparent who needs access to a family photo folder from their own computer, but most families will never need one. Groups are lists of users that let you set the same sharing permissions for several people at once, and they are also optional for home use.
Step-by-Step: Add a New User Account
These steps use System Settings, which is the layout on macOS Ventura and later. The wording is almost identical on newer versions.
- Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner and choose System Settings.
- In the sidebar, click Users and Groups. You may need to scroll down to find it.
- Click the Add User button below the list of current users. On some versions it appears as a plus button or as Add Account.
- Click the padlock or use Touch ID when prompted, and enter your administrator password to unlock the settings.
- Open the New Account menu and choose the account type, usually Standard.
- Type the person’s full name, then an account name with no spaces, such as their first name in lowercase.
- Create a password, type it again to verify it, and add a password hint that helps the person without giving the password away.
- Click Create User to finish. The new account now appears in the list.
On an older Mac with System Preferences, open Users and Groups there, unlock the padlock, click the plus button, and fill in the same fields. After creating the account, allow the user to reset their password using their Apple Account, which helps when they forget it. Leave the administer option off for a Standard account.
Signing In and Helping the New User Set Up
To test the new account, click the Apple menu and choose Log Out, or restart the Mac. On the login screen, click the new user’s picture, enter the password you set, and press Return. The first sign-in takes a little longer than usual, because macOS builds the new home folder, desktop, and default folders.
The new user will be offered the chance to sign in with their own Apple Account. That is a good idea for adults and older teenagers, because it connects their own iCloud photos, messages, and backups instead of yours. For a younger child, you can skip that step and add it later, or use a child Apple Account created through Family Sharing.
Show a new user where their files live, how to change their wallpaper and password, and how to log out. Our guide on how to switch users on a Mac without logging out explains quick switching in detail.
Switching Between Accounts With Fast User Switching
Logging out closes all your apps, which is annoying when someone only needs the Mac for five minutes. Fast User Switching lets a second person sign in while your apps and documents stay open in the background, exactly as you left them.
To use it, click your name or account icon in the menu bar at the top-right of the screen and choose the other user’s name. Enter their password and their desktop appears. Switch back the same way when they finish. If you do not see a name or icon in the menu bar, open System Settings, go to Control Centre, find Fast User Switching, and set it to show in the menu bar.
Remember that every signed-in account uses memory and battery, even in the background. On an older Mac with limited memory, logging out fully when you finish for the day keeps things running smoothly for the next person.
Common Mistakes and Useful Tips
The most common mistake is giving everyone an administrator account because it feels simpler. It is simpler only until someone changes a setting for the whole Mac, deletes another person’s files, or installs something unsafe. Keep one or two administrators and make everyone else Standard.
Another mistake is choosing an account name you later regret. The account name names the home folder and appears in file paths, and changing it is fiddly and risky. Use a short, plain name from the start, even if the full name field carries the longer version.
Do not share one account and try to separate people with folders instead. Folders do not protect privacy. Anyone signed in to the same account can open every folder, read browser history, and see notifications and messages meant for someone else.
A useful tip is to create a separate Standard account for guests or for testing. It keeps your own desktop clean and gives visitors internet access without access to your documents. Another tip is to turn on the option that lets users reset a forgotten password with their Apple Account, following the approach Apple describes for resetting a Mac login password, so a forgotten password does not lock a family member out for days.
Conclusion
Adding a new user account is one of the simplest and most valuable things you can do on a shared family Mac. Choose Standard for most people, set a sensible account name and a strong first password, and let each person sign in with their own Apple Account. Everyone gets privacy, their own files, and their own settings, while you keep control of the Mac as administrator. Once the account exists, features like Fast User Switching and parental controls become easy to add whenever you need them.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many user accounts can I create on one Mac?
There is no practical limit for a family. You can create as many accounts as you need. The real limits are disk space and memory, because each person’s files use the shared drive and each signed-in account uses memory while it stays logged in.
Can the new user see my files and photos?
No, not by default. Each account has its own home folder, and a Standard user cannot open the home folder of another user. Files only become visible to others if you deliberately place them in the Shared folder or change their permissions.
What is the difference between an administrator and a Standard user?
An administrator can change settings for the whole Mac, manage other accounts, and install software that affects everyone. A Standard user can manage their own files and settings but needs an administrator password for system-wide changes. Standard is safer for everyday family use.
Can I change an account from Standard to administrator later?
Yes. Open System Settings, go to Users and Groups, select the account, and turn on the option to allow the user to administer the computer. You will need your own administrator password to make the change, and you can reverse it the same way at any time.
What should I do if the new user forgets their password?
Sign in with your administrator account, open Users and Groups, select their account, and choose the option to reset the password. If you enabled password reset with an Apple Account, the user can also reset it themselves from the login screen after a few failed attempts.
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