Delete Admin User on Mac
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How to Delete Admin User on Mac? Guide 2023

Wondered how to delete admin user on Mac? If you have access to your own administrator account, you can only delete an administrator account from a Mac computer. This guide shall now guide you through multiple ways to delete admin accounts on a Mac computer.

Every computer workflow is under the control of administrator accounts. The administrator can perform any action, including installing new software and altering system settings. However, too many admin users on a MacBook can make it difficult to manage your security expectations.

You must begin uninstalling the unnecessary admin users one by one if you don’t like having multiple users tinker with your system software and documents. But that’s a really easy process all by itself.

Keep reading and find out more.

Before You Delete An Admin Account

Keep in mind, you will need another admin account active before you delete a current admin account so you can do things like download items or make other changes to the computer.

To add another admin account:

  1. Click the Apple icon.
  2. Select System Preferences.
  3. Then select Users & Groups.
  4. To make changes, click the padlock at the bottom to unlock it. The user name and password you entered might be required.
  5. You can add new users by clicking the + button at the bottom of the users list. Select it.
  6. Follow the prompts to add another administrator account, which you should be able to select in a pop-up menu.
  7. Put in the necessary details.
  8. Click Create User.

Additionally, since you will no longer have any access to the admin account you are deleting, you should perform some sort of backup to save all the data you still require from that account.

How to Delete Admin User on Mac?

You must be logged in from another admin account on a Mac before you can start removing an admin account. In other words, if you are a standard user, you cannot delete an admin from your MacBook. So, taking this thing into consideration, here are the ways for an admin user on a Mac computer:

Delete Admin User on Mac

Via System Preferences

On a MacBook, using System Preferences is the simplest and most straightforward way to remove an admin user. The process is carried out from the User and Groups settings, and these are the exact steps to do so:

  1. Use an administrator account to log into your MacBook.
  2. Click on the Apple menu.
  3. Select System Preferences.
  4. Go to Users & Groups.
  5. To unlock the window, click the padlock on the window’s lower left corner.
  6. Next, enter your password to proceed.
  7. From under Other Users, select the admin account you want to delete and click on the ‘‘ sign.
  8. You’ll now be presented with three options, with a brief synopsis of each of them;
    You can either delete the home folder, don’t change it, or save it as a disk image.
  9. Choose an option and click on Delete User.
  10. Click on the padlock to save your changes after deleting the appropriate user or users.

Via Terminal

The terminal offers another way to delete admin user(s) on a Mac. One can delete not only the admin account but also different kinds of user accounts and groups by using the right sets of codes and commands.

Here is the way to do so:

  1. Use an admin account to log into your MacBook.
  2. Press Command + Space to open the Spotlight.
  3. Type and then select Terminal.
  4. Then, enter this command to list out all the users on your system:
    /usr/bin/dscl . -list /Users
  5. Now, select the admin account and convert it to a standard one with:
    sudo dseditgroup -o edit -d *UserName* -t user admin
    Be sure to replace *Username* with username of the admin account you plan to remove.
  6. Then, delete this account with:
    sudo /usr/bin/dscl . -delete /Users/*Username*
    For e.g., sudo /usr/bin/dscl . -delete /Users/macontents
  7. Once you’re done, type and enter exit to exit the terminal.

Remove User from Mac Comfortably

You must also have access to a secondary admin account in order to remove an administrator from your Mac.

The person will no longer have access to the Mac after you delete an admin account from the system. The administrator’s profile can be restored in the future, though, if you decide to save their home folder.

You can easily delete users from Mac using the aforementioned steps, and the procedure is essentially the same on existing MacBooks.

Let us know in the comments below if you found this article helpful and successfully deleted the user from your Mac.

Also Read:

FAQs

Does Deleting a User on Mac Delete Files?

The user’s files and information are still available, and they can be restored at a later time if necessary.

Why Can’t I Delete Admin Account on Mac?

Push the – button while that account is selected in the Users & Groups pane of the System Preferences window after it is unlocked and opened. If you’re using Fast User Switching, you need to log out of the account you want to delete.