How to remove a user account from your Mac
To delete a user account from your Mac, open System Settings, go to General > Users & Groups (or just Users on newer macOS versions), select the account you want to remove, and click the minus button. You'll be asked what to do with the account's files — you can delete them immediately, keep them in a folder on your Mac, or leave them untouched. The account is then gone, though the process differs slightly depending on whether it's a standard account, administrator account, or the account you're currently logged into.
The key limitation: you cannot delete the account you're actively using right now. You'll need to switch to a different administrator account first, then remove the one you want gone. If your Mac only has one account, you'll need to create a temporary administrator account before you can delete the original one.
Key Takeaways
- You must be logged into a different administrator account to delete any user account, including your own.
- When you delete an account, macOS asks whether to delete its files immediately, save them in a folder, or keep them on your Mac untouched.
- Deleting an administrator account requires you to have another administrator account ready, or you'll lock yourself out of account management.
- If you only have one account on your Mac, create a second administrator account before attempting to delete the first one.
Step-by-step deletion for a standard user account
Open System Settings and navigate to General, then click Users & Groups (the exact name depends on your macOS version — newer versions call it just "Users"). You'll see a list of all accounts on your Mac. Click the account you want to delete, then look for the minus button (usually at the bottom of the account list). Click it.
A dialog box will appear asking what to do with that account's files. You have three options: delete the home folder and all its contents immediately, save the home folder as a disk image file (a single compressed file you can open later if needed), or do nothing and leave the files where they are. Choose based on whether you need to keep any of that person's documents, photos, or settings. Once you confirm, the account is removed.
Deleting an administrator account
Removing an administrator account works the same way, but with one critical requirement: you must be logged into a different administrator account. If you're the only administrator on your Mac and you're logged into that account, you cannot delete it. You'll get a message saying the account cannot be removed.
If this happens, you need to create a second administrator account first. Go to Users & Groups, click the plus button to add a new account, set it as an Administrator, and complete the setup. Then log out, log back in as the new administrator, and you'll be able to delete the original account. After deletion, you can delete the temporary administrator account if you want, but you must do it from yet another administrator account — or promote a standard account to administrator status first.
What happens to files when you delete an account
When macOS removes an account, it doesn't automatically erase everything that person created. Instead, it gives you a choice in the moment of deletion. If you select "Delete the home folder," all files, emails, browser history, and settings tied to that account vanish immediately — this is permanent and cannot be undone. If you select "Keep the home folder," the account is removed but a folder containing all that person's files stays on your Mac in the Users directory, accessible to any administrator.
The third option, "Save the home folder as an image," creates a single compressed file (a .dmg file) that you can open, browse, and extract files from later. This is useful if you're not sure whether you'll need anything from that account but want to free up space now. You can always open the image file months later if someone asks for a document they left behind.
Removing the account you're currently using
You cannot delete the account you're logged into right now — macOS won't allow it. To delete your own account, you must first create or switch to a different administrator account. Log out of your account (Apple menu > Log Out), then log in as the other administrator. Once you're in, go back to Users & Groups and delete the account you just left.
If you're the only person on your Mac and you want to delete your current account, you're in a catch-22: you need another administrator account to delete the first one, but you can't create one without being logged in. The solution is to create a temporary administrator account while you're still logged in. Go to Users & Groups, click the plus button, create a new administrator account with a temporary name, then log out and log back in as that temporary account. Now you can delete your original account, and afterward you can delete the temporary one if you want (though you'll need to promote a standard account to administrator first, or create yet another admin account).
Recovering files after accidental deletion
If you deleted an account and chose to delete its home folder, the files are gone from your Mac's normal storage. However, if you have Time Machine backups running, you may be able to recover them. Open Time Machine (click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar or search for it in Spotlight), navigate to the date before the deletion, find the user's home folder, and restore it. The restored files will appear in the Users directory on your Mac.
If you don't have Time Machine backups, recovery becomes much harder and may require professional data recovery tools. This is why the "Save the home folder as an image" option exists — it's the safest choice if you're not certain you'll never need anything from that account again.
Troubleshooting account deletion problems
If you see a message saying "You cannot delete this account because it is the only administrator account on this computer," you need to create another administrator account first. Go to Users & Groups, click the plus button, and create a new account. Make sure to set it as an Administrator in the account type dropdown. Once that's done, log out and log back in as the new administrator, then return to Users & Groups and delete the original account.
If an account won't delete and you're not sure why, check whether it's a managed account (set up through a school or workplace). Managed accounts sometimes have restrictions that prevent deletion from System Settings. You may need to contact your IT department or school administrator to remove it. Also verify that you're actually logged into an administrator account — standard user accounts cannot delete any accounts, even if you provide a password.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete an account without losing its files?
Yes. When you delete an account, macOS asks what to do with its files. Choose "Keep the home folder" and the account is removed but all its files stay on your Mac in a folder that any administrator can access. You can also save the files as a compressed image file to open later.
What if I forgot the password to the account I want to delete?
You don't need the password to delete an account — you only need to be logged into a different administrator account. If you've forgotten the password to the account you're currently using, you'll need to reset it first or switch to another account before you can delete anything.
Will deleting a user account remove their email from Mail?
Deleting the account removes the user's home folder and settings, but email behavior depends on whether you chose to delete or keep the files. If you kept the home folder, the Mail data stays on your Mac. If you deleted it, the Mail account and messages are gone unless you have a Time Machine backup.
Can I delete an account if my Mac is part of a workplace or school network?
Managed accounts set up through a workplace or school often cannot be deleted from System Settings. Contact your IT department or school administrator — they may need to remove the account from their management system first, or they may have restrictions in place that prevent local deletion.
What's the difference between logging out and deleting an account?
Logging out just signs you out of your account — the account and all its files stay on your Mac. Deleting an account removes it entirely (though you can choose to keep its files). If you only want to stop using an account temporarily, log out instead of deleting it.