How to Add or Remove Switch User on User Tile in Start Menu in Windows 11

Why Change the Switch User Option?

Removing the Switch user button from the user tile helps if you are the only person using the PC. It tidies the Start menu, but it does not remove your ability to use other accounts. You can still sign out and sign in with a different account whenever you need to.

If other people share the PC, think twice before hiding it. They lose the quick way to move between accounts without signing out.

If you are signed in with a standard account, Windows will ask for an administrator password when you open the Registry Editor. Without one, you cannot save the change.

How to Add or Remove Switch User

It is a tool for changing hidden Windows settings. Be careful in it, because a wrong change can cause problems. Only touch the one value described below.

If you want a safety net, back up first. In Registry Editor, choose File › Export, pick a location, and save a copy. You can double-click that file later to restore the settings.

Step 1Open Registry Editor

1. Press Win+R on your keyboard to open the Run box.
2. Type regedit and press Enter or click OK.
3. Click Yes if User Account Control prompts you. This is where Windows checks that you have administrator permission. You should now see the Registry Editor window.

Step 2Navigate to the Correct Folder

Next, go to the right location in the Registry Editor. Click the address bar at the top of the window, paste the following path, and press Enter:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

The left pane should expand to the System key, and its values appear in the right pane.

Step 3Add or Modify the ‘HideSwitchUser’ Value

The Switch user setting depends on one registry value in this folder. The full path is 🗝️HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Systemcopy. You will either find the HideSwitchUser entry there or create it yourself.

1. Look in the right-hand pane for an entry named HideFastUserSwitching.
2. If HideFastUserSwitching already exists, skip to step 5. If it does not exist, right-click an empty space in the right-hand pane.
3. Select New, then select DWORD (32-bit) Value. A new entry appears with its name highlighted for editing.
4. Type HideFastUserSwitching as the name and press Enter.
5. Double-click the HideFastUserSwitching value, whether you just created it or it was already there. An Edit DWORD (32-bit) Value box opens.

Create it as a DWORD (32-bit) Value even on a 64-bit version of Windows 11. That is the correct type for this setting.

Step 4Set the Value Data

The number in the value data decides whether the button shows. Setting the Value data to 1 hides the Switch user button on your user tile. Setting it back to 0 makes the button visible again.

To remove (hide) the Switch user button:

1. In the Value data box, type 1.
2. Make sure Base is set to Hexadecimal. For the values 0 and 1 the number is the same in either base, but keep it consistent.
3. Click OK. The value now shows your number in the right-hand pane.

To add (show) the Switch user button:

1. In the Value data box, type 0.
2. Make sure Base is set to Hexadecimal.
3. Click OK. The value now shows your number in the right-hand pane.

Once you have clicked OK, you can close the Registry Editor.

Step 5Restart Your Computer

The change does not take effect until you restart your computer. Signing out and back in may not be enough, so do a full restart.

1. Save your work and restart the PC.
2. Sign in and open the Start menu.
3. Click your user tile (your name or picture). The menu that opens should now show or hide the Switch user option, depending on the value you set.

If the option has not changed, reopen the Registry Editor and check that the value is in the right folder and is a DWORD. A common cause is a value created under the wrong key.

Summary

To sum up, controlling the Switch user button is one registry change. You create the HideSwitchUser entry in the System folder and switch its value between 1 (hide) and 0 (show), then restart. To undo it, go back to the same value and set it to the opposite number.