How to add a new user account on a Chromebook

You don’t have to just use a single account with your Chromebook. It’s quite easy to add multiple users to your device.

If you just purchased a new Chromebook or ChromeOS tablet or already have one, you might already know how to add one user account. But did you know you can add more?

Adding a new user to a Chromebook lets you put different individuals’ Google Chrome favorites, Android apps, and Google Drive documents in separate spaces. Compared to Windows and macOS, which require you to log in to an existing account to add a new one, Google makes this process easier since you can add a second account (or up to 19 accounts total) right on your ChromeOS lock screen. You even can browse as a guest without the use of a Google Account. Here’s a quick look at how you can get started.

How to add a new user account to a Chromebook

To add a new user to a Chromebook, you’ll first want to power it on. After your Chromebook boots up (it should take just a few seconds), don’t log into your device as you normally would. Instead, look at the bottom of your screen and follow the steps below.

Click at the bottom left of your screen where it says Add Person.
Choose who is using the Chromebook, either You or A child. Choosing A child will allow you to set extra rules for what apps can and can’t be used and which websites can and can’t be accessed.
Click the Next button.
Enter the sign-in information (a Gmail address) for that person.
- If the person doesn’t have a Google Account, they can sign up for one right on this page by clicking Create account and filling out the required information.
Enter the password, and follow the steps on the screen to personalize the Chromebook experience.

After you add this new user, you’ll see two users listed on your Chromebook lock screen every time you turn it on. You can switch between the two by clicking the profile icon and entering the password or PIN you configured. The sign-in screen will only show 19 different users at once. Google mentions in a support document that ChromeOS might delete an account automatically if you exceed the 19-account limit as a space-saving measure.

How to browse as a guest on a Chromebook

If you don’t want to sign in with a Google Account on ChromeOS, you can opt to browse as a guest on a Chromebook. Remember that if you browse as a guest, all of your history or files won’t be saved, so you’ll have to save the files offline and note your history separately.

Turn on your Chromebook.
At the bottom left of the screen, click on Browse as Guest option.
Your Chromebook will log you into a guest browsing session.
To exit guest browsing, click on the date and time area, and choose Exit guest.

You’ll see a blank page on the Chrome web browser open to let you know you’re browsing as a guest. From here, you can now temporarily browse the web without a Google Account on your Chromebook. You can still save files and see your browsing history, but once you exit, these will be gone. Be sure to copy and save files online via cloud storage or locally via a USB drive.

That’s it! That’s all there is to add a new user to a Chromebook. It doesn’t take much work, does it? While you’re at it, we invite you to check out our other ChromeOS guides. We’ve looked at how you can use Android apps and Linux apps on your new Chromebook. We’ve even collected some of the best accessories for your Chromebook too.