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

Hiding your account name and profile picture on the Windows 11 Start menu removes personal details from view.

The Start menu is where you find your apps and PC settings. You can choose to hide your name and picture from it for more privacy or a cleaner look.

This setting helps keep your account information private on a shared computer. It’s a simple tweak available in Windows 11.

Even if you hide them on the Start menu, you can still see your account by clicking your profile icon.

Option 1Using Settings

You can hide or show your account name and profile picture on the Windows 11 Start menu ⊞ right from the Settings ⚙️ app. This method lets you control what appears on your Start screen without needing complicated steps.

1. Open Settings. You can do this by pressing the Windows key + I on your keyboard.
2. On the left side, click on Personalization.
3. On the right side, click on Start.
4. Look for the section called Other settings.
5. You will see an option called Hide your name and profile picture on Start.
6. Turn this setting On to hide your name and picture.
7. Turn this setting Off to show them. The default setting is Off, which shows your information.
8. You can now close the Settings ⚙️ window.

Option 2Using the Registry Editor

The Registry Editor offers another way to control whether your account name and profile picture appear on the Windows 11 Start menu ⊞. This method is helpful if you prefer making direct changes or if the regular Settings app ⚙️ isn’t working as expected.

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

To Hide Account Name and Profile Picture on Start Menu:

1. Press Windows key + R to open the Run box.
2. Type regedit and press Enter. Click Yes if a User Account Control prompt appears. (Requires administrator privileges)
3. In the Registry Editor, go to this location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Personalization\StartMenu
4. Right-click on the Personalization key in the left pane.
5. Select New, then select DWORD (32-bit) Value.
6. Name the new value HideUserInformation.
7. Double-click on the new HideUserInformation value.
8. Set the Value data to 1.
9. Click OK.

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

1. Follow steps 1-6 from the "Hide" section above to create or find the HideUserInformation value.
2. Double-click on the HideUserInformation value.
3. Set the Value data to 0.
4. Click OK.

Reference:

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

Summary

You can change this through the Settings app under Personalization > Start. If you're comfortable with more advanced options, the Registry Editor also lets you make this change by modifying the HideUserInformation DWORD value.