Sharing a Computer Can Suck Less
If you were a teenager in the 2000s like I was, I bet you remember the Windows XP login window. My four siblings and I had our own accounts, identified by usernames and graphics. As soon as I logged in, the computer felt like it was mine —it worked the way I configured it, and all my school documents were there. Then, when my brother or sister needed the device, they logged into their account where their stuff was located. It worked then and it can work now.
And yet most people, including me, forget that this feature still exists. A friend of mine recently bought a new laptop for use outside the home – they shared the laptop with their spouse to use when they were away from the desktop computer at home. Tipping point: They’re tired of not being able to log into their services on a shared device. I pointed out that they could create separate user accounts – this thought had not occurred to them.
This is largely due to the fact that most people now have their own computers. But there are times when it makes sense to share a computer. Perhaps you and your partner use desktop computers at home but share a laptop. Perhaps you have one gaming PC in your home that is used by multiple people. Or maybe you’re traveling with someone and don’t want to carry multiple computers with you. Whatever your reason for sharing your device, multiple accounts will work much better.
Adding more users is easy
Adding a new account to your computer is easy. In Windows 11, you can open the Settings app, click Accounts in the left sidebar, then click Add an account . From here you can add a Microsoft or local account.
On macOS, you need to open System Preferences , scroll down to Users & Groups in the sidebar, then click Add User . You can choose a name, username and password and you’re done.
From now on, when the computer boots or locks, you can decide which user account you want to use. Each user can customize their desktop environment as they see fit without affecting the other user. And you can even have multiple users logged in at the same time, meaning their windows and documents can remain open in the background while another user is on the device.
None of this is new—it’s been offered on both Mac and Windows environments since the 1990s. It was just somehow forgotten.
iPad, unfortunately, doesn’t work that way.
If there’s one device designed for sharing, it’s the iPad. After all, in most homes, the iPad sits on the coffee table, where whoever is closest can easily grab it and scroll around for a bit. There’s a problem, though: iPad doesn’t support multiple user accounts. This means my wife sees my text notifications when I play games on the iPad. This also means she can’t check her email on the device.
It’s a shame. Sharing devices in this way can reduce waste and save money. Multiple user accounts on the same device make sharing that device much easier. It would be nice if more people used this feature and if more devices offered it.