Multiple Accounts

Windows 11 supports multiple sign-in accounts. This can be useful in many situations. But the most obvious is for families, in which one or more parents or caretakers, and one or more children, can each have their own account, each with its own customized Windows 11 experience.

Understand account types

One issue with this configuration is that each account must be configured with an account type that determines which tasks they can complete. Windows 11 supports two account types:

Administrator. Sign-in accounts with Administrator privileges have complete control over the system, including other user accounts.

Standard user. Sign-in accounts with Standard privileges can only control their own accounts and may sometimes need to ask a user with Administrator privileges to authorize certain tasks that could result in changes to the system or another user account. This authorization occurs via a User Account Control (UAC) dialog in which the Standard user is prompted to provide an “admin” (Administrator) sign-in.

Those will families can exert additional control over their children and their sign-in accounts using Microsoft Family parental controls. This is configured via the Microsoft Family app, which is available in the Microsoft Store.

The initial sign-in account—usually the Microsoft account you used to complete Windows 11 Setup—is always configured with Administrator privileges. And subsequent sign-in accounts created in the Windows 11 Settings app are given Standard user privileges by default.

Add and manage sign-in accounts

Anyone with Administrator privileges can Add additional sign-in accounts. These can be Microsoft accounts, work or school accounts, or local account sign-in accounts.

Add and manage a Microsoft account or local account sign in

To add a new Microsoft account or local account sign in, open Settings and navigate to Accounts > Other users. Then, click the “Add account” button next to “Add other user” in the “Other users section.” The Microsoft account window appears.

To add a Microsoft account sign in, enter the email address and authenticate against Microsoft’s servers as prompted. To add a new local account, select the “I don’t have this person’s sign-in information” link and then select the “Add a user without a Microsoft account” link in the Create account window that appears. Then add a username and, optionally, a password, as prompted.

The latter process is described in more detail in Local Accounts.

Any user on the PC with Administrator privileges can change the account type of a Microsoft or local account with Standard user privileges to an Administrator. But be careful with this, as doing so will give them control over the PC, and this includes access to any documents and other files in your account.

To do so, locate the account you wish to change to an Administrator and select it to expand the view. Then, click the “Change account type” button. The Change account type window appears.

Select “Administrator” from the Account type drop-down and click OK.

Add a work or school account sign in

To add a work or school account sign in, open Settings and navigate to Accounts > Access work or school. Then, click the “Connect” button next to “Add a work or school account.” In the Set up a work or school account window that appears, click the “Join this device to Azure Active Directory” link and then sign in and authenticate against your work or school account as prompted.

This process is also described in Work and School Accounts.

Because work and school accounts are managed by your organization, there’s not much you can do with regard to managing a sign-in account: all you can really do is remove it from the PC.

Switch between available sign-in accounts

Windows 11 lets you or another configured user sign in to the PC at any time. You can do this while a current user account is still signed in, so that multiple sign-in accounts are active concurrently, or you can optionally sign out of one first so that another user can sign in.

Only one sign in account can be used interactively at a time.

To switch user accounts—that is, sign in with a different account while leaving the current account signed in as well—open Start and select your user picture and name in the bottom left corner of Start. Then, select the user account you wish to use from the drop-down list.

The Sign-in screen for that user will then appear, letting you sign in and access that user’s custom Windows 11 experience.

You could also lock the PC by by clicking your user account at the bottom left of Start and then choosing Lock. Then, you could sign in with another account normally, and your original account would remain signed in too. Lock is a convenient way to prevent others from accessing your data when you’re away from the PC.

You can more quickly lock the PC by typing WINKEY + L.

Of course, you could also sign out from the current user account first. Then, you will be confronted with a Sign in screen listing all of the available sign-in accounts on the PC. Just select the user you wish to use at the lower left and then sign in with that account.