{"id":230,"date":"2025-12-07T23:06:04","date_gmt":"2025-12-07T23:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/a.flowindsurfing.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/11\/how-to-promote-a-standard-user-account-to-an-admin-account-on-macos\/"},"modified":"2026-01-11T11:39:38","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T11:39:38","slug":"how-to-promote-a-standard-user-account-to-an-admin-account-on-macos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/piikla.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/07\/how-to-promote-a-standard-user-account-to-an-admin-account-on-macos\/","title":{"rendered":"How to promote a standard user account to an admin account on macOS"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"post-content cf entry-content content-spacious\">\n<p><strong>By default, the first user that sets up a Mac will become an administrator. If you share your Mac with others and want to give them admin access then you can do this quickly and easily.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Once you promote a standard user to an administrator account, they\u2019ll be able to add and manage other users, install apps and change settings. Admins can also demote any other existing administrators if they no longer need their privileges.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Follow the steps below to learn how to promote a standard user account to an administrator account on Mac.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-you-ll-need\">What you\u2019ll need:<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.trustedreviews.com\/best\/best-mac-3985186\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mac<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Access to the administrator account<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-short-version\">The short version:<\/h2>\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open the System Settings app on your Mac<\/li>\n<li>Select Users &#038; Groups from the left sidebar menu<\/li>\n<li>Click the info icon next to the user\u2019s name<\/li>\n<li>Toggle on Allow this user to administer this computer<\/li>\n<li>Enter the admin\u2019s password<\/li>\n<li>Select OK<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<section class=\"phoenix-deals-block\">\n<div class=\"phoenix-deals-block__container\">\n<div class=\"phoenix-deals-block__image__container\">\n            <img class=\"lazy lazy-hidden\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.trustedreviews.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/a3-lazy-load\/assets\/images\/lazy_placeholder.gif\" data-lazy-type=\"image\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.trustedreviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/05\/61rHxjOjRL._AC_SL1500_-450x458.jpg\" alt=\"Amazon paperwhite no background\"><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"phoenix-deals-block__content\">\n<h4 class=\"phoenix-deals-block__heading\">\n                <span class=\"phoenix-deals-block__heading__start\">Kindle Paperwhite Summertime discount<\/span><br \/>\n            <\/h4>\n<p class=\"phoenix-deals-block__description\">\n<div class=\"phoenix-deals-block__prices\">\n<div class=\"phoenix-deals-block__prices__inner\">\n<div class=\"vendor\">John Lewis<\/div>\n<div class=\"phoenix-deals-block__prices__inner__prices\">\n<div class=\"price-after\">\n                                <span class=\"text\">now<\/span><br \/>\n                                <span class=\"number\">\u00a3119.99<\/span>\n                            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                            <a href=\"https:\/\/john-lewis-and-partners.pxf.io\/jrbb5v\" class=\"view-deal-button__container\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow\">View Deal                    <i class=\"fa-solid fa-arrow-right\"><\/i><br \/>\n                <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"block block-mobile-ad block-mobile-ad-double\" style=\"height: 620px\">\n<div class=\"ad-label\" style=\"height: 20px\">\n        Advertisement    <\/div>\n<div class=\"ad-inner\" id=\"ad_mobile-in-article_1\"><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"block video-player\"><\/section>\n<div class=\"schema-how-to wp-block-yoast-how-to-block\">\n<ol class=\"schema-how-to-steps \">\n<li class=\"schema-how-to-step\" id=\"how-to-step-1715609732637\">\n<div class=\"steps\">\n<h3 class=\"step-name\">Step  1.<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"schema-how-to-step-name\">Open System Settings on your Mac<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><img class=\"lazy lazy-hidden\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.trustedreviews.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/a3-lazy-load\/assets\/images\/lazy_placeholder.gif\" data-lazy-type=\"image\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.trustedreviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/05\/1.-System-Settings-app.png\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"schema-how-to-step-text\">We\u2019ll be demonstrating on a Mac that\u2019s running on the MacOS Sonoma 14. If you are running on macOS Monterey 12 or below then scroll down to our Troubleshooting section and follow the steps listed there.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>To open System Settings, either look for the above app icon in the bottom panel or in the Launchpad, or select the Apple menu in the top-left of the screen and then choose System Settings.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"schema-how-to-step\" id=\"how-to-step-1715610293672\">\n<div class=\"steps\">\n<h3 class=\"step-name\">Step  2.<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"schema-how-to-step-name\">Select Users u0026amp; Groups from the left sidebar menu<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><img class=\"lazy lazy-hidden\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.trustedreviews.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/a3-lazy-load\/assets\/images\/lazy_placeholder.gif\" data-lazy-type=\"image\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.trustedreviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/05\/2.-Users-Groups-on-System-Settings.png\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"schema-how-to-step-text\">You may need to scroll down to find this option. Otherwise you can search for Users &#038; Groups in the search panel at the top of the sidebar.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"schema-how-to-step\" id=\"how-to-step-1715610336181\">\n<div class=\"steps\">\n<h3 class=\"step-name\">Step  3.<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"schema-how-to-step-name\">Click the info icon next to the user\u2019s name<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><img class=\"lazy lazy-hidden\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.trustedreviews.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/a3-lazy-load\/assets\/images\/lazy_placeholder.gif\" data-lazy-type=\"image\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.trustedreviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/05\/3.-click-on-info.png\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"schema-how-to-step-text\">The info icon is a lowercase i in the middle of a circle. Clicking this will open a pop-up window with more options about the select user\u2019s account.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"schema-how-to-step\" id=\"how-to-step-1715610368381\">\n<div class=\"steps\">\n<h3 class=\"step-name\">Step  4.<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"schema-how-to-step-name\">Toggle on Allow this user to administer this computer<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><img class=\"lazy lazy-hidden\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.trustedreviews.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/a3-lazy-load\/assets\/images\/lazy_placeholder.gif\" data-lazy-type=\"image\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.trustedreviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/05\/4.-Toggle-on-Allow-user-to-admin.png\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"schema-how-to-step-text\">Once you turn this toggle on, you\u2019ll be prompted to enter the admin account\u2019s password.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"schema-how-to-step\" id=\"how-to-step-1715610410513\">\n<div class=\"steps\">\n<h3 class=\"step-name\">Step  5.<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"schema-how-to-step-name\">Enter the admin\u2019s password<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><img class=\"lazy lazy-hidden\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.trustedreviews.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/a3-lazy-load\/assets\/images\/lazy_placeholder.gif\" data-lazy-type=\"image\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.trustedreviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/05\/5-Enter-the-admin-password.png\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"schema-how-to-step-text\">Enter the password for your Mac here and then select Unlock. You may be told that you need to restart your computer at this point.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"schema-how-to-step\" id=\"how-to-step-1715610459347\">\n<div class=\"steps\">\n<h3 class=\"step-name\">Step  6.<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"schema-how-to-step-name\">Select OK<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><img class=\"lazy lazy-hidden\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.trustedreviews.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/a3-lazy-load\/assets\/images\/lazy_placeholder.gif\" data-lazy-type=\"image\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.trustedreviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/05\/6-Click-OK.png\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"schema-how-to-step-text\">Once you\u2019re happy with the new admin, click OK. If you weren\u2019t prompted to restart your Mac earlier then make sure you do soon after you click OK.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-keystone-faqs\">\n<h2 class=\"faqs-title wp-block-heading\" id=\"troubleshooting\">Troubleshooting:<\/h2>\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block faqs-content\">\n<div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1715610496340\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What are the steps if I\u2019m running on macOS Monterey 12 or older?<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Although fairly similar, the steps slightly differ if you\u2019re using an older version of macOS. <\/p>\n<p>Enter your Mac\u2019s System Preferences, select Users &#038; Groups then click on the padlock at the bottom left to unlock the preference pane. From here, choose the user you\u2019d like to add as an administrator and select Allow user to administer this computer.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1715610564842\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">How do I remove someone as an administrator?<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Follow the steps above but turn off Allow this user to administer this computer. You may need to restart your computer to let the changes take effect.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"review-specs\">\n    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By default, the first user that sets up a Mac will become an administrator. If you share your Mac with others and want to give them admin access then you can do this quickly and easily. Once you promote a standard user to an administrator account, they\u2019ll be able to add and manage other users, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":231,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-computing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/piikla.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/piikla.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/piikla.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/piikla.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/piikla.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=230"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/piikla.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":326,"href":"https:\/\/piikla.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230\/revisions\/326"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/piikla.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/piikla.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/piikla.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/piikla.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}