How to Create Guest Account in Windows 11

If you often share your PC with friends, family, or coworkers, you’ve probably wished you had a way to let them use your computer without giving them access to your personal files. That’s where a Guest Account comes in.

Windows 11 doesn’t include a dedicated Guest Account option anymore (like older versions of Windows did), but you can still create a restricted local account that works the same way — letting others use your PC temporarily without risking your privacy.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to create a guest account in Windows 11 step-by-step using both Settings and Command Prompt.

Why You Might Want a Guest Account

A guest account helps when:

• Someone needs to use your PC briefly — without touching your personal files.
• You want to keep your apps, browser history, and saved passwords private.
• You’d like to prevent accidental system changes by other users.

A guest account can’t install software, change system settings, or access other users’ data — making it perfect for quick, safe, shared use.

Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator

Since Windows 11 no longer includes a built-in Guest account, you’ll need to manually create one using Command Prompt.

1. Press Windows + S, type cmd, and right-click Command Prompt.
2. Select Run as administrator.
3. Click Yes when prompted by User Account Control (UAC).

Step 2: Create a New Local User Account

Now that Command Prompt is open with admin rights, create a new user called “Guest.”

Type the following command and press Enter:

net user GuestUser /add /active:yes

This creates a new local account named GuestUser (you can use any name you like).

Tip: If you want the account to have no password, skip the next step. Otherwise, you can add one for basic protection.

Step 3: Set a Blank Password (Optional)

If you want your guest account to be password-free, run this command next:

net user GuestUser ""

The empty quotation marks (“”) mean no password will be assigned.

Step 4: Change the Account Type to Standard User

By default, the new account is created as a standard user, but if it somehow has admin privileges, you can confirm and correct it:

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Go to Accounts > Other users.
3. Find the GuestUser account you just created.
4. Click the down arrow (⋯) beside it and choose Change account type.
5. Set it to Standard User and click OK.

Now the guest account is restricted from making major system changes.

Step 5: Hide the Account From the Login Screen (Optional)

If you’d like to make it feel like a true “Guest Session,” you can hide it when not in use.

1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList
3. If UserList doesn’t exist, right-click Winlogon → New > Key → name it SpecialAccounts, then create another key called UserList under it.
4. Inside UserList, right-click → New > DWORD (32-bit) Value → name it GuestUser.
5. Double-click it and set the Value data to 0 to hide the account.

To unhide it later, change the value back to 1 or delete the entry.

Step 6: Log In as Guest

Once the account is created, log out of your main profile:

1. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete → Switch user.
2. Click GuestUser (or whatever name you chose).
3. Log in — no password required (if you left it blank).

You now have a simple, privacy-safe guest account ready to use.

Step 7: Limit What the Guest Account Can Access (Optional)

If you want to make the guest profile even more secure, you can:

• Disable Microsoft Store access:
  Open Settings > Accounts > Family & other users, select the guest account, and limit app installation rights.
• Block Control Panel and Settings changes:
  Use the Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) to restrict access to system settings.
• Clear the guest profile regularly:
  Delete and recreate the guest account if you want a fresh start for each use.

Step 8: Delete the Guest Account (When You’re Done)

If you no longer need the guest account, you can remove it easily.

Using Settings

1. Go to Settings > Accounts > Other users.
2. Find the guest account and click Remove.
3. Confirm by clicking Delete account and data.

Using Command Prompt

Alternatively, open Command Prompt (Admin) and run:

net user GuestUser /delete

That completely removes the guest profile and its data.

Wrapping Up

While Windows 11 no longer includes a dedicated Guest account like older versions did, you can still create one manually using a local user profile.

With just a few commands, you can set up a safe, restricted account for anyone who needs temporary access to your PC — without risking your personal files or system settings.

It’s a simple, effective way to share your computer responsibly — and with total peace of mind.