How to Hide Users on Windows 11 Sign-in Screen

Managing the Windows 11 login screen customization is a great way to improve privacy. When you remove a user from the sign-in list, you prevent unauthorized people from seeing which accounts exist on your machine. This guide covers how to hide local accounts from the welcome screen using advanced tools.

Why Hide Users on Windows 11?

You might want to hide specific accounts for security or privacy. By hiding a user, you stop their name from appearing on the list. This is useful if you have a hidden administrative account or a guest account you do not want others to see

Why do this? It adds a layer of security by obscuring the usernames available on your system.

What happens when done? The user account remains fully functional, but it will no longer appear on the sign-in screen, requiring you to type the username manually to log in.

Before You Begin: Safety First

Editing the Windows Registry is powerful. A mistake can cause system issues. Always create a System Restore point before proceeding. This allows you to revert your system to a working state if something goes wrong.

Method 1: Using the Registry Editor (Advanced)

This method uses regedit.exe to target specific user accounts. [Admin privileges required]

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
3. If the SpecialAccounts key does not exist under Winlogon, right-click Winlogon, select New > Key, and name it SpecialAccounts.
4. Inside SpecialAccounts, create another key named UserList.
5. Right-click in the right pane of UserList, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
6. Name the DWORD exactly as the username you wish to hide (e.g., GenericUser).
7. Double-click the new DWORD and set the Value data to 0.

Downloadable Registry File

You can automate this by saving the following code as a .reg file:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList]
"GenericUser"=dword:00000000

Method 2: Using Group Policy Editor (Pro/Enterprise Only)

If you use Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise, you can use gpedit.msc. [Admin privileges required]

1. Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and hit Enter.
2. Go to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options.
3. Find Interactive logon: Do not display last signed-in and set it to Enabled.

Summary

Hiding users on the Windows 11 sign-in screen is an effective way to manage account visibility. By using the Registry Editor or Group Policy, you can keep your system clean and secure. Remember to back up your registry before making changes. These steps ensure your hidden accounts remain accessible while keeping them off the main login list.” }