How to Add a New User Account on Your Mac

If more than one person uses the same Mac, each should have their own account — separate desktop, files, and settings.

Why: Separate accounts keep everyone’s files and preferences apart and let you give some people fewer privileges. Only an administrator can create accounts, so you’ll need to unlock the settings first.

Fix 1: Add a new user in System Settings

1. Open Apple menu > System Settings, then click Users & Groups in the sidebar.
2. Click the Add User… button below the list of users (enter your administrator password if prompted).
3. From the New User pop-up menu, choose the account type (see Fix 2 for which to pick).
4. Enter a Full name for the person. macOS generates an Account name automatically — choose the spelling you want now. Renaming it later is possible, but requires a separate administrator account and careful changes to the matching home-folder name.
5. Enter a Password, type it again to verify, and add a Password hint.
6. Click Create User.

The new account appears in the list and is ready to sign in to.

Fix 2: Pick the right account type

The New User pop-up offers a few types:

• Administrator — can add and manage other users, install apps, and change any setting. Give this only to people you trust with the whole Mac.
• Standard — can install apps and change their own settings, but can’t manage other accounts or system-wide settings. This is the right choice for most people.
• Sharing Only — can access shared files over the network but can’t sign in to the Mac or change settings.

A good practice: keep one administrator account for yourself and make everyone else Standard.

Fix 3: Adjust an account after you create it

To change what an account can do:

1. In Users & Groups, click the info (i) button next to the account.
2. Toggle Allow this user to administer this computer to switch between Standard and Administrator.
3. Here you can also reset the account’s password or, for your own account, manage login items.

FAQ

Can I change the account name later? Yes. Apple documents how to rename the short Account name and its home folder while signed in to a different administrator account. Make a backup first and follow every linked step: mismatched names or an incorrect home-directory path can prevent login. Changing the display Full name is a separate operation. Use Apple’s account and home-folder rename procedure.

Do I need an Apple Account to add a user? No. A local user account works without an Apple Account, though signing the account in to iCloud later adds Find My, iCloud Drive, and syncing.

How many accounts can a Mac have? There’s no practical limit for normal use — add as many as the people who share the Mac.

Sources: Add a user or group on Mac — Apple Support, Rename a macOS user account and home folder — Apple Support