By default, Windows 11 forces you to create new user accounts with Microsoft account sign-in (online account). However, with a simple trick, you can create a local user account with just a few clicks. You might prefer a local account over a Microsoft account for several reasons. These include privacy concerns, avoiding unnecessary account linking, or preventing data sharing with Microsoft.
For instance, when I recently reinstalled Windows, I needed to create a secondary user account. Since I didn’t want to use a Microsoft account for this, I created a local account instead.
The good thing is, while Microsoft cleverly hides the option to create a local user account, it’s easy to find and set up when you know where to look. In this tutorial, I’ll show you the exact steps to create a local user account in Windows 11. Let’s get started.
Before You Begin
- You need administrator rights to create user accounts in Windows 11.
- Local accounts won’t have access to certain features, such as syncing settings, managing purchases, or integrating with Microsoft services, which are exclusive to Microsoft accounts.
- This tutorial is for users who have already installed Windows 11. If you want to install Windows 11 with a local user account, you’ll need to use the oobe\bypassnro command during installation or create a custom Windows 11 USB drive with Rufus to remove the Microsoft account requirement.
Create a Local User Account in Windows 11
- Open the Settings app by pressing “Windows key + I“.
- Go to the “Accounts” tab on the sidebar.
- Select the “Other users” option.
- Click the “Add account” button next to “Add other users.”
- Click the “I don’t have this person’s sign-in information” link.
- Point and click the “Add a user without a Microsoft account” link.
- Type the username in the first field.
- Set a password in the following two fields.
- Set the security questions.
- Click the “Next” button to continue.
- With that, you’ve created the local user account in Windows 11.
- You can log into the new user account from the sign-in/lock screen.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
For local account creation on Windows 11, we muse use the Settings app. So, press the “Windows key + I” to open the Settings app. Once it opens, go to the “Accounts” tab on the sidebar and click the “Other users” option on the right panel.
On this page, click the “Add account” button under the “Other users” section.
The above action opens the new user creation wizard, which takes you to the Microsoft sign-in screen. Since we don’t want to create an online account, click the “I don’t have this person’s sign-in information” link at the bottom.
You will another prompt asking you create a Microsoft account. Ignore it, and click the “Add a user without Microsoft account” link at the bottom.
Now, set the username, password, and answer all the security questions. When done, click the “Next” button to continue.
Note: The security questions help you recover the user account if you forget the password.
As soon as you click the button, Windows 11 will create the local user account. You will see the new user account under the “Other users” section.
After creating the user account, you can log into it from the Start menu and login/lock screen. Remember that Windows 11 will automatically complete the new user account setup process after logging in for the first time.
Wrapping Up — Creating Local User Accounts on Windows 11
As you can see, while the option for creating a local user account is cleverly hidden in plain sight, it is a fairly simple task. Do keep in mind that the second user account you create will be a standard user. i.e., the user cannot install applications or change system settings that require administrator rights. If you need that, change the account type after creating the user account. Of course, if you no longer need an account, you can just as easily remove the user account on Windows 11.
If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to help.
