You need System Settings and the account you want to delete must not be the one you're logged into right now

To delete an admin user on Mac, you 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. The account must not be your current login — you cannot delete the account you are using at that moment. You also need admin privileges yourself to make the change.

Before you delete anything, understand what happens: the account and all its files disappear from your Mac. If that account holds documents, photos, or anything else you might need later, you have a choice during deletion — move those files to another account or erase them completely. There is no recovery after deletion, so this is a one-way action.

Key Takeaways

  • You must be logged into a different admin account to delete an admin user; you cannot delete the account you are currently using.
  • Open System Settings, navigate to Users & Groups (or Users), select the account, and click the minus button to start the deletion process.
  • During deletion, macOS asks whether to keep or delete the account's files; choose carefully because deleted files cannot be recovered.
  • If you forget the password to an admin account and cannot log in, you will need to use Recovery Mode or another admin account to remove it.

Step-by-step deletion on current macOS versions

Open System Settings from the Apple menu. Click General in the left sidebar, then look for Users & Groups (on older versions) or Users (on Sonoma and later). You will see a list of all accounts on your Mac.

Select the admin account you want to delete by clicking it once. A minus button (−) will appear below the list. Click that button. macOS will ask you to confirm and will show you two options: keep the account's home folder and files, or delete them. If you choose to keep the files, they move into a folder on your Mac that you can access later. If you choose to delete, everything in that account is gone.

After you make your choice, enter your own admin password when prompted. The account will be removed.

What happens to files when you delete an account

If you select "Keep the home folder," macOS moves the deleted account's entire home directory to a folder called "Deleted Users" in the Users folder on your Mac. You can still access documents, photos, downloads, and desktop files from there — they just sit in a shared location instead of being tied to a login account.

If you select "Delete the home folder," everything goes: documents, downloads, desktop files, email stored locally, browser bookmarks, application settings, and any other data that account held. This is permanent. You cannot undo it from Trash or Recovery Mode.

Deleting an admin account when you do not know the password

If the admin account is locked and you do not know its password, you cannot delete it from System Settings the normal way. You have two paths: use another admin account if one exists, or use Recovery Mode.

If you have a second admin account on the Mac, log into that one and follow the normal deletion steps above. If you are the only admin and have forgotten the password, restart your Mac and hold Command + R to enter Recovery Mode. From there, you can create a temporary admin account or reset the password on the existing one, then log in and delete it normally. This process is more involved and may require you to look up the specific steps for your macOS version, since Recovery Mode varies slightly between versions.

The difference between admin and standard user accounts

An admin account can install software, change system settings, create or delete other accounts, and make changes that affect the whole Mac. A standard user account can use installed software and change only its own settings — it cannot install programs or alter system-wide configurations without an admin password.

If you are deleting an admin account because you want to reduce the number of people with admin powers on your Mac, consider whether you actually need to delete it or just change it to a standard account instead. Changing the account type keeps the files and login history intact while removing admin privileges. To do this, select the account in System Settings > Users & Groups, click the lock icon to unlock it with your password, and change the account type from Admin to Standard User.

Why you might want to delete an admin account

Common reasons include removing a former household member's account, cleaning up unused test accounts, or reducing the number of people with system-level access to your Mac. If someone no longer uses the Mac, their account takes up storage space and represents a potential security gap — an unused account is one fewer password you need to monitor.

If you are removing an account because that person should no longer have access to the Mac, deletion is the right choice. If you are just trying to prevent them from logging in while keeping their files safe, you could instead change the account to a standard user or disable it without deleting it — though macOS does not have a built-in "disable" feature, so deletion is the standard way to prevent login.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete the admin account I am currently logged into?

No. You must be logged into a different admin account to delete an admin user. If you only have one admin account, you cannot delete it without first creating a second admin account or using Recovery Mode to create a temporary one.

What if I delete an account by mistake?

If you chose to keep the home folder during deletion, the account's files are still on your Mac in the Deleted Users folder and you can access them. If you chose to delete the home folder, the files are gone and cannot be recovered through normal means. Time Machine backups may contain the deleted account if you were backing up before the deletion.

Do I need to back up before deleting an admin account?

If you are certain you do not need any files from that account, no. If there is any chance you might need documents, photos, or other data later, back up the Mac first or choose to keep the home folder during deletion so you can review the files before permanently removing them.

Will deleting an admin account affect my other accounts?

No. Other user accounts on the Mac will continue to work normally. Deleting one account does not change settings, files, or access for any other account.

Can I delete an admin account remotely or from another device?

No. You must be physically at the Mac and logged into a different admin account to delete an admin user through System Settings. Remote access tools like Apple Remote Desktop require the account to already exist and be enabled.