To switch users in Windows 11, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete, select Switch user, and sign in to the other account. You can also select Start, your account picture, then the other account. Switching keeps the first user signed in with their apps open; signing out ends that session.
This covers separate Windows user accounts on the same PC, on Windows 11 Home and Pro. The same methods work in Windows 10. Changing the account inside a browser, Outlook or another app doesn’t change your Windows desktop account.
Before You Switch
- The other account has to exist on this PC. If it isn’t listed anywhere below, an administrator needs to add it first (see the missing-account section).
- Save your work. Your apps stay open, but if the next person shuts down or restarts the PC, Windows closes your session and unsaved changes are lost.
- Know the other account’s sign-in. You’ll need its PIN, password, or Windows Hello face or fingerprint.
Switch Users With the Keyboard
This method works on almost every PC, even when the Start menu isn’t responding.
- Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete together. A full-screen menu with Lock, Switch user, Sign out and Change a password appears.
- Select Switch user. The sign-in screen opens with the accounts listed in the lower-left corner.
- Choose the account you want. If your organization provides Other user, select it and enter the account details your administrator supplied.
- Sign in with that account’s PIN, password or Windows Hello. Its desktop loads, and your own session keeps running in the background.
Microsoft’s Windows keyboard shortcut reference lists Ctrl + Alt + Delete as the shortcut for the security screen. Press Esc on that screen if you change your mind. If Switch user isn’t on the list, see the missing-option section below.
Switch From the Start Menu
These steps follow Microsoft’s user account access instructions:
- Select Start, or press the Windows key.
- Select your user picture or the Accounts icon at the bottom of the Start menu.
- Select the More button (three dots), then select the account you want to switch to. On work or school PCs, you may also see a Switch user option.
- Complete the selected account’s sign-in. Windows shows the sign-in screen for that account only.
The account menu works the same whether Start is in the center or on the left of the taskbar. If the other account isn’t listed, use Ctrl + Alt + Delete instead of Sign out so your apps stay open.
Use the Lock Screen
- Press Windows key + L. Your session locks, and your apps stay open behind the lock screen.
- Click, tap or press any key to dismiss the lock screen picture.
- Pick the other account from the list in the lower-left corner and sign in.
If only your account appears, use Ctrl + Alt + Delete > Switch user instead. You can also lock from Start > Power > Lock, according to Microsoft; earlier Windows 11 versions put Lock in the account menu.
To change the picture you see there, set the lock screen on Windows 11.
Other Ways to Switch Users
Alt + F4 on the desktop
- Press Windows key + D to show the desktop. Alt + F4 closes whatever app is active, so make sure no app window is selected.
- Press Alt + F4. The Shut Down Windows dialog opens.
- Choose Switch user from the list and select OK. The sign-in screen appears.
Task Manager
Task Manager can switch you to an account that is already signed in.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Select the Users page in the left menu.
- Right-click the other signed-in account and select Switch user account.
Only accounts with a running session appear here. Leave other people’s sessions alone otherwise: signing another user off from Task Manager closes their apps without saving.
A command or desktop shortcut
On Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise, typing tsdiscon in Terminal or the Run box (Windows + R) disconnects your session and returns you to the sign-in screen, where you can pick another account. Your apps keep running. Microsoft documents the command in its tsdiscon reference. If Windows says tsdiscon isn’t recognized, your edition doesn’t include it; use Windows key + L instead. To make a one-click shortcut, right-click the desktop, select New > Shortcut, and enter %windir%\System32\tsdiscon.exe as the location.
In a Remote Desktop session
Ctrl + Alt + Delete goes to your local PC, not the remote one. Press Ctrl + Alt + End inside the Remote Desktop window to open the remote PC’s security screen, then select Switch user if your organization allows it.
Switch Back to Your Own Account
Use any method above from the other account and pick your own account on the sign-in screen. After you sign in, your apps and files are where you left them. If the other person is done for the day, have them sign out first so their apps don’t keep using memory in the background.
If the Other Account or Switch User Is Missing
On a personal PC, check Settings > Accounts > Other users for the account you want. If it isn’t there, an administrator can select Add account next to Add other user and enter the person’s Microsoft account email, or choose I don’t have this person’s sign-in information > Add a user without a Microsoft account to make a local account.
Microsoft’s user-account management guide covers each choice, and you can also follow the steps to create a local account on Windows 11. For an occasional visitor, you can set up a guest account in Windows 11. An email account listed for apps is a different setting and doesn’t create another Windows login. Ask the owner before adding anyone.
To take an account off the PC instead, remove a Microsoft account from Windows 11.
To let the other account install apps and change settings, change it to an administrator account.
Other common causes:
- Windows signs you straight back in with your face. If Windows Hello facial recognition dismisses the lock screen automatically, turn off Automatically dismiss the lock screen if Windows Hello recognizes your face under Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > Facial recognition, or look away from the camera.
- The other account is disabled or blocked. An administrator can check it under Other users. Family accounts are managed under Settings > Accounts > Family.
On a work or school PC, contact your administrator. Organizations can turn on a Hide entry points for Fast User Switching policy that hides the Switch User option on the sign-in screen, the Start menu and Task Manager. With it on, only one person can be signed in at a time, so sign out before the next person signs in.
Account visibility can also differ on domain-joined PCs (see what joining a domain in Windows 11 involves). Tell your administrator where the option is missing and whether you have another account you’re allowed to use; don’t edit the registry or organization policies to get around the restriction.
Switch Users in Windows 10
Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025, but the same methods work there. Save your work, open Start, select your account picture, and choose another account. Or press Ctrl + Alt + Delete, select Switch user, and sign in. Your apps stay open in the first session.
To end your own session instead, choose Sign out from the account menu. You can also save and close work, focus the desktop, press Alt + F4, select Sign out in the Shut Down Windows dialog, and confirm. Signing out closes your session; switching users leaves it running.
Switch User, Lock or Sign Out?
| Option | Your apps | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Switch user | Stay open | Someone else needs their own desktop and you’ll come back |
| Lock | Stay open | You’re stepping away and no one else needs the PC |
| Sign out | Close | You’re done, or the PC is low on memory |
Each signed-in account uses some memory, so on an older PC with several people signed in, signing out of accounts you aren’t using can speed things up. The Windows 11 sign-out guide covers that choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I return to my account?
Use any of the methods above from the other account and pick your own account on the sign-in screen. Your apps and files will be where you left them, as long as no one restarted or shut down the PC in between.
Does switching change my Microsoft account?
No. Switching only moves you to another Windows user session on the same PC. Your profile, its Microsoft account, and your files stay as they were. To link your own profile to a different Microsoft account instead, change the Microsoft account on Windows 11.
Can the other person see my files or open apps?
They can’t see your open apps or your desktop. A standard account can’t open the files in your user folders, but an administrator account can, and files in Public folders are shared. Give other people standard accounts if that matters.
What happens if the other user shuts down the PC?
Windows warns that other people are signed in and that they could lose unsaved work. If they continue, your apps close without saving. Save before you hand the PC over.
Why doesn’t Switch user appear on my PC?
The Start menu lists only accounts that already exist on the PC, so add a second account if you haven’t. If Switch user is missing from Ctrl + Alt + Delete too, an administrator has probably hidden it with the Fast User Switching policy; ask your IT department on a work PC.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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