How to Hide or Show Account Name and Profile Picture on Start Menu in Windows 11

Option 1Using Settings

The Settings app is the most direct way to hide or show your account name and picture. It is also the newest way, because update KB5120998 brought the setting to Start. Microsoft’s release notes for that update say you can hide your name and profile picture in Start.

The option sits under Personalization, on the Start page. Turn it on to hide your details and off to show them again. The change applies immediately, with no restart or sign-out.

1. Press Win+I to open Settings. You should see the Settings⚙️ window with a list of categories on the left.
2. On the left side, click Personalization.
3. On the right side, click Start. The Start options page opens.
4. Scroll down to the section called Other settings.
5. Find the option called Hide your name and profile picture on Start.
6. Set the toggle to On to hide your name and picture.
7. Set the toggle to Off to show them again. Off is the default, so your information is visible until you change it.
8. Open the Start menu⊞ and look at the account picture in the lower-left corner. Your name and picture should be gone, or back, depending on the toggle.
9. Close the Settings⚙️ window.

That’s it. The Start menu now hides or shows your account name and picture, depending on the toggle you chose, and you did not need to restart.

On a PC with update KB5101684, the account control has a new design, and signed-in Microsoft account users may see a subscription badge. Microsoft’s release notes do not say whether this toggle affects the badge. Open the Start menu after you change the setting and check what appears on your device. Local accounts do not get the badge.

Option 2Using the Registry Editor

The Registry Editor is another way to control whether your profile details appear on the Start menu. It is a built-in tool for viewing and changing system values directly. Use it if your PC does not have update KB5120998, if the option is missing from Settings, or if you prefer to set values yourself.

Be careful in the registry, because a wrong edit can cause problems. Before you start, consider creating a restore point or exporting the key you are about to change. In Registry Editor, select File and then Export to save a copy of a key.

What happens after you make the change? Your account name and picture will be hidden or shown on the Start menu, depending on the value you set.

To Hide Account Name and Profile Picture on Start Menu:

These steps hide your name and picture. They create the value if it doesn’t exist yet. A DWORD is a registry value that stores a simple number, and Windows reads it as a setting.

1. Press Win+R to open the Run box.
2. Type regedit and press Enter. Click Yes if a User Account Control prompt appears. (Requires administrator privileges) Registry Editor opens.
3. In the Registry Editor, go to this location: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
4. Right-click the Personalization key in the left pane. A context menu🖱️ opens.
5. Select New, then select DWORD (32-bit) Value. A new value appears in the right pane with its name ready to edit.
6. Name the new value NoUserNameInStartMenu.
7. Double-click the new NoUserNameInStartMenu value. The Edit DWORD (32-bit) Value box opens.
8. Set the Value data to 1.
9. Click OK. The value in the right pane now shows the data you entered.
10. Sign out and back in, or restart the🔄 PC, so the Start menu⊞ picks up the new value. Then open Start and check the account picture in the lower-left corner.

That’s it. The registry value is now set, and after the sign-out or restart the Start menu hides your account name and picture.

To Show Account Name and Profile Picture on Start Menu (Default):

To show your name and picture again, edit the same value. You don’t need to create anything new if it already exists.

1. Follow steps 1-6 from the “Hide” section above to create or find the NoUserNameInStartMenu value.
2. Double-click the NoUserNameInStartMenu value. The Edit DWORD (32-bit) Value box opens.
3. Set the Value data to 0.
4. Click OK.
5. Restart the🔄 PC, or sign out and back in, so the interface displays the updated setting.

You should now see your account name and picture on the Start menu again. If you want to drop the registry override altogether, right-click the value and choose Delete. Then use the Settings toggle instead if your PC has update KB5120998.

The subscription badge from update KB5101684 does not depend on these registry steps in Microsoft’s release notes. It shows only for Microsoft account sign-ins, and availability varies by device and market. If you don’t see it, your account type or region is the likely reason.

Reference:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-insider/release-notes/experimental/preview-build-26300-8493

Summary

For most people, the Settings app is all you need: go to Personalization › Start and use the Hide your name and profile picture on Start toggle, which update KB5120998 added. If your PC does not have that update, or you want to set it by hand, you can change the NoUserNameInStartMenu DWORD value in the Registry Editor. Either way, you can reverse the change later by flipping the toggle or setting the value back.

To reach the account menu after KB5101684, open the Start menu and select your account picture in the lower-left corner.