How to Add Users on a Mac: A Complete Guide
Adding users to a Mac is one of those tasks that looks simple on the surface but carries real nuance depending on what kind of access you need to grant, who the person is, and how your Mac is configured. Whether you're setting up a shared family computer, onboarding a colleague, or creating a guest session, macOS gives you several distinct user types to choose from — and the differences matter.
Why Adding Users on a Mac Is Worth Getting Right
macOS is built around a multi-user architecture, meaning each account gets its own isolated home folder, preferences, and permissions. One user's files don't automatically bleed into another's. This isn't just about privacy — it protects system stability. A standard user can't accidentally delete system files or install software that affects everyone on the machine.
Getting the account type right from the start saves headaches later.
What You'll Need Before You Start
- Administrator access — only an admin account can create new users
- A Mac running macOS (steps apply broadly to Ventura, Sonoma, and most recent versions, though the exact location of settings has shifted in newer macOS releases)
- The new user's name and, optionally, an Apple ID if you want them to use iCloud features
Step-by-Step: How to Add a New User Account on macOS
On macOS Ventura and Later
- Click the Apple menu (🍎) in the top-left corner
- Select System Settings
- Scroll down and click Users & Groups
- Click the Add Account button (you may be prompted to enter your administrator password)
- Choose the account type from the dropdown
- Fill in the full name, account name (this becomes the home folder name), and a password
- Click Create User
On macOS Monterey and Earlier
- Open System Preferences from the Apple menu
- Click Users & Groups
- Click the lock icon in the bottom-left and enter your admin password
- Click the "+" button to add a new user
- Select the account type, enter the required details, and click Create User
Once created, the new account appears in the login window immediately.
Understanding Mac User Account Types 👤
This is where most people skip too fast — and it's the part that actually determines what a user can and can't do.
| Account Type | What They Can Do | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Administrator | Install apps, change system settings, manage other users | Trusted adults, IT staff |
| Standard | Use apps, change their own settings, can't affect other accounts | Most everyday users |
| Managed with Parental Controls | Limited by restrictions you configure | Children, supervised users |
| Sharing Only | Access shared files remotely, can't log in locally | File sharing over a network |
| Guest User | Temporary session, all data deleted on logout | Short-term visitors |
Standard accounts are the right default for most situations. Handing out admin access more broadly than necessary increases the risk that a mistake — or malicious software — affects the entire system.
Enabling and Configuring the Guest User Account
The Guest User account in macOS is technically already built in — you just need to enable it rather than create it fresh.
To turn it on:
- Go to Users & Groups in System Settings (or System Preferences)
- Click Guest User
- Toggle on Allow guests to log in to this computer
When a guest logs out, macOS wipes everything from that session. No files, no browser history, no saved passwords remain. It's a contained, sandboxed experience — useful precisely because it leaves no trace.
Setting Up Parental Controls (Managed Accounts)
When creating an account for a child or a user who needs guardrails, macOS lets you configure Screen Time restrictions tied to that account. You can limit:
- App usage by category or specific application
- Web content using built-in filtering
- Communication limits on who they can contact
- Time with daily downtime schedules and app limits
These controls live in Screen Time within System Settings, not directly inside Users & Groups. After creating the account, you switch to that account's Screen Time profile and apply the relevant restrictions.
Network and Sharing Users: A Separate Category
If someone needs to access shared folders on your Mac over a local network — but doesn't need to physically log in — Sharing Only accounts handle that without granting full login access. This is common in small office or home network setups where one Mac acts as a lightweight file server.
Sharing Only accounts are visible in the Users & Groups panel and are created through the same Add Account flow, just with that type selected from the dropdown.
The Variables That Change How This Works for You 🔧
Even with the steps clearly laid out, a few factors shape which approach actually makes sense for your setup:
- macOS version — the interface has meaningfully changed between Monterey and Ventura, so the exact path to the setting differs
- Whether the Mac is enrolled in MDM (Mobile Device Management) — corporate or school-managed Macs may have user creation locked down or handled centrally
- iCloud and Apple ID linking — new users can optionally tie their account to an Apple ID, which enables iCloud sync but also connects the device to their broader Apple ecosystem
- FileVault encryption — if FileVault is enabled, newly created users must be explicitly enabled to unlock the drive at startup, otherwise they can't log in until another enabled user has already authenticated
- Shared vs. personal use patterns — a family Mac used by multiple people daily has different account management needs than a work machine where you're adding a temporary contractor account
Each of those variables nudges the right configuration in a different direction. The mechanics of adding a user are straightforward — but whether you're creating an admin, a standard, a guest, or a sharing-only account, and how you configure it afterward, depends on your specific situation and who exactly is going to be using that machine.