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Adding a new user account to your Mac is a surprisingly simple process! You can easily create a new user account in System Preferences and set the permissions you would like to give the new user. Let's cover how to create a new user account on your Mac.
Related: How to Sync Messages from iPhone to Mac
Why You’ll Love This Tip
- Create an Administrator or Standard account to share your device without sharing your files and data.
- Add a Shared Only account to allows others to remotely access shared files or make a Group account to share files and folders with multiple users on your device.
How to Add a User on Mac
To create a new user account, you must be set as the administrator on the computer. If you are the only user account, this is you by default! You'll have the option to create another Administrator account, a Standard account, a Sharing Only account, or a Group account.
- An Administrator can add and manage other users’ accounts, install apps, and change system-wide settings.
- A Standard user can install apps and change their own settings, but can’t add another account or change other users’ settings (this is the most commonly used option).
- A Sharing Only user can’t log in to your Mac, but can remotely access files that you share with them.
- A Group account allows files and folders to be easily shared with multiple users at once.
For more fun Mac tips, sign up for our free Tip of the Day Newsletter. Now, here's how to add another account on your Mac:
- Click the Apple icon in the top-left corner of your screen.
![Click to open the Apple menu.]()
- Click System Preferences.
![Click on System Preferences…]()
- Click Users & Groups.
![Click Users & Groups.]()
- Click the padlock icon to make changes.
![Click the padlock icon to make changes.]()
- Enter your password and click Unlock.
![Enter your password and click Unlock.]()
- Click the Add icon below the list of users.
![Click on the + icon below the list of users.]()
- Click the New Account dropdown menu, and select whether you want to create an Administrator account, a Standard account, a Sharing Only account, or a Group.
![Click the New Account: dropdown and select whether you want to create an Administrator, Standard account, Sharing Only account, or a Group. See below the steps for a brief overview of the differences.]()
- Enter the Full Name for the new account.
![Enter the Full Name of the new account.]()
- Your Mac will autpopulate an Account Name to use for the account's home folder. We strongly recommend using the name generated by your Mac.
![Enter the Account Name that you would like to use for the account's home folder.]()
- In the Password field, type a password for the new account.
![Enter the Password for the account.]()
- In the Verify field, re-type your password to confirm that you typed it correctly.
![Enter the Password again to verify that you typed it correctly.]()
- In the Password Hint field, you can enter a short text hint to help you recall your password.
![It is recommended that you enter a Password Hint.]()
- Click Create User.
![Click Create User.]()
Once you've created the new account, you'll see the new account name listed when you log in and out of your computer. You can share this login information if you're creating an account for another person, so they can log into your Mac using their account.
