Chromebook 101: how to add another user to your Chromebook

To be shared between parents and kids or passed around among friends, Chromebooks are often bought as laptops for families to use. It needs to have more than one login so that each user has access to their own personal apps and content.

It's easy to add a new user to a Chromebooks. This is how to do it.

• Click on the button in the lower-right corner. (The one that shows the time, battery life, etc.)
• Click on Sign out at the top of the pop-up window.
• You’ll be brought back to the sign-in screen. At the bottom left of the screen, click on the button labeled Add Person.
• You’ll be asked whether you want to add an adult (assuming you’re an adult) or a child. Make a selection and then click on the Next button.

• Have the new user sign in using their Google account. (Or they can create a new account if they don’t have one.)

• The account’s bookmarks, history, passwords, and other settings will be synced to the new machine. If you want to change any of those options, check the box that reads Review sync options following setup. Then press Accept and continue.
• Okay, here comes the Google Play terms of service. Go ahead and read them if you want, and then approve them.

• There is a check box on that page that allows all your data to be backed up to Google Drive. If you don’t want that to happen, uncheck the box. You will also be asked if you want to allow the system to use your location (you can uncheck that box as well) and if you want to review your Google Play options after setup. You’ll also get a chance to use Google Assistant with the Chromebook.
• Finished? Then click on Accept.

You are done. There are two names when you click on the sign-on screen. There will be separate accounts for each user and they won't have access to the other.

Easily switch accounts

Keep your accounts separate and go back to the lock screen when someone else uses the Chromebooks. If you want to switch users without having to sign out, you can set your Chromebooks up for more than one user.

• Click on the clock in the lower-right corner to bring up the Quick Settings menu.
• Click on the single-user icon. (It will be in the upper-left corner of the Quick Settings menu.)
• Select Sign in another user.
• You’ll get a pop-up window titled Multiple sign-in that will warn you that users will be able to access any sign-in without using a password. Click OK.
• You’ll then be taken back to the lock screen where you can sign into the other account(s).

Clicking on the user icon will allow you to switch accounts.

Remove a user

You can easily remove a user if you no longer share the Chromebooks.

• Sign out of your account so that you’re brought back to the lock screen.
• Click on the downward-facing arrow next to the name of the person you want to take off the computer.
• Click on Remove this user. You’ll be reminded that everything associated with that account, including files and local data, will be deleted. If that’s okay, click on Remove account.

You can easily remove users from the main sign-on screen, but you can't remove the owner of the system.

Sign in a guest user

It is easier to have someone sign in as a guest if you want to allow them to use your computer for a short time.

• Sign out of your account so that you’re back to the sign-on screen.
• Click on the Browse as Guest button in the lower-left corner of the screen.
• To exit guest mode, click on the time button in the lower-right corner of the screen, and then click on Exit guest.

You cannot save anything to the computer when you are in guest mode, even though you can use a lot of things. Your files, cookies, website data, and browsing activity will be deleted when you finish.

Barbara Krasnoff took the photographs.

This article has been updated to account for changes in the OS.