Change your Mac user name through System Settings
You can change your Mac user name by opening System Settings, navigating to General, then selecting Users & Groups (or Users in newer macOS versions). Click the lock icon to unlock the settings, select your account, and edit the Full Name field. The change takes effect when ready, though some apps may continue to show the old name until you restart your Mac.
The process differs slightly depending on your macOS version. On macOS Ventura and later, the Users & Groups section moved into the General settings panel. On older versions, it appears as a separate System Preferences pane. Either way, you need administrator access to make changes to any user account.
Changing your user name does not affect your login password, your home folder name, or your existing files. Your account remains the same — only the display name changes. This is useful if you want your Mac to show a different name in the login screen, Finder window headers, or when sharing files over a network.
Key Takeaways
- Open System Settings, go to General, then Users & Groups to find your account name field.
- Click the lock icon at the bottom left and enter your password to unlock the settings for editing.
- Edit the Full Name field to your preferred name and press Return to save the change.
- Your login name, home folder, and files stay the same — only the display name changes.
- Restart your Mac if some apps continue showing your old name after the change.
Step-by-step instructions for macOS Ventura and later
Click the Apple menu in the top left corner and select System Settings. In the sidebar, click General. Scroll down and click Users & Groups. You will see your account listed with your current full name displayed below it.
Click the lock icon in the bottom left corner of the window. Enter your password when prompted and click Unlock. Your account name field will now be editable. Click on your full name, delete the current text, type your new name, and press Return. The change saves automatically.
Close System Settings. Your new name will appear in the login screen the next time you restart, and in Finder window headers and network sharing dialogs when ready. Some third-party apps may cache the old name and require a restart to update.
Step-by-step instructions for macOS Monterey and earlier
Click the Apple menu and select System Preferences. Click Users & Groups in the main panel. If the lock icon at the bottom left is closed, click it and enter your password to unlock the settings.
Select your account name in the left sidebar. In the right panel, you will see your full name at the top. Click on it to edit, type your new name, and press Return. The change takes effect when ready without requiring a restart.
Close System Preferences. Your new name will appear in the login screen, Finder headers, and network sharing settings right away. If you notice any app still showing your old name, restart that app or restart your Mac.
What changes and what stays the same
Your display name is separate from your login name. When you change your full name in System Settings, only the display name changes. Your login name — the short name you use to log in — remains the same. You can see your login name in the Users & Groups window below your full name, and it does not change unless you perform a separate action.
Your home folder path and all files inside it keep their original location and names. If your login name was "jsmith" and your home folder is at /Users/jsmith, that path does not change when you update your display name. Any shortcuts, aliases, or scripts pointing to your home folder will continue to work.
Your password and login credentials remain unchanged. You still log in with the same password you used before. Network sharing permissions tied to your account stay in place. The only visible difference is the name that appears in login screens, Finder windows, and when you share files over a network.
Changing your login name instead of your display name
If you want to change your actual login name — the short name you type when logging in — the process is more involved and requires creating a new administrator account. Apple does not provide a direct way to rename a login account without data loss. The safest method is to create a new administrator account, migrate your files to it, and then delete the old account.
To do this, open System Settings and go to Users & Groups. Click the lock icon and unlock the settings. Click the plus button to create a new account. Set it as an Administrator, give it the login name you want, and set a password. Log out of your current account and log into the new one.
Once you are logged into the new account, you can use Migration Assistant to transfer your files, apps, and settings from the old account. After the migration is complete and you have verified everything works, return to Users & Groups, select your old account, and click the minus button to delete it. This approach preserves all your data while giving you a new login name.
Troubleshooting when your name does not update
If you changed your display name but some apps still show the old name, restart those apps first. Many applications read your user name once when they launch and do not check for updates while running. Closing and reopening the app usually forces it to read the new name from System Settings.
If restarting individual apps does not work, restart your entire Mac. Some system services and background processes cache your user name at startup. A full restart ensures all of them pick up the new name. After restarting, check the Finder window header, the login screen, and any apps that display your name.
If you are still seeing the old name in the login screen itself, make sure you actually saved your changes. Return to System Settings, Users & Groups, and verify that the new name appears in the Full Name field. If it reverted to the old name, the change did not save — try again and make sure you pressed Return after typing the new name.
When to change your display name versus your login name
Change your display name if you want a different name to appear in Finder, on the login screen, and in network sharing without affecting how you log in. This is the easiest change and takes seconds. Use this option if you want to go by a nickname, a different spelling, or a professional name while keeping your login name the same for compatibility with scripts, shortcuts, and file paths.
Change your login name only if you need a different short name for logging in and you are willing to migrate your entire account. This is a much larger change and should only be done if you have a specific reason — such as setting up a new account for a different user on the same Mac. Most people never need to change their login name.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will changing my user name affect my files or folders?
No. Your files, folders, and home directory path stay exactly where they are. Only the display name changes. If you change your login name instead (a separate, more complex process), your home folder path changes, but Migration Assistant can move all your files to the new location automatically.
Can I change my user name if I am not an administrator?
No. You need administrator access to change any user account name, including your own. If you are not an administrator, ask the person who set up your Mac to make the change for you, or ask them to give you administrator rights first.
Do I need to restart my Mac after changing my user name?
Not always. The display name change takes effect when ready in most places. However, some apps cache your old name, so restarting those apps or restarting your Mac ensures everything shows the new name consistently.
What is the difference between Full Name and Account Name?
Full Name is your display name — what appears in Finder, on the login screen, and in sharing dialogs. Account Name is your login name — the short name you type when logging in. You can change your Full Name easily in System Settings. Changing your Account Name requires creating a new account and migrating your files.
Can I use special characters or spaces in my new user name?
Yes, you can use spaces, accents, and most special characters in your display name. However, if you are changing your login name (the short account name), stick to letters, numbers, and hyphens — avoid spaces and special characters, as they can cause problems with scripts and file paths.