How to lock, sign out, switch users on Windows 11

• To sign out on Windows 11, open “Start,” click the account manager menu, and click the “Sign out” option.
• To switch users, open “Start,” click the account manager menu, open the “More options” (three dots) menu in the top-right, and choose the users you want to switch to.
• To lock the computer, open “Start,” click the “Power” menu, and choose the “Lock” option.

UPDATED 11/11/2025: On Windows 11, the Start menu includes an account manager that is supposed to make managing your profile and system access more intuitive. However, this isn’t always the case. In this guide, I’ll show you the easy steps to sign out, switch users, and lock your computer.

In the past, the options to lock and sign out were in the same location, but with the June 2024 update, Microsoft introduced a new account manager menu in the Start menu that replaces the profile menu. The new design reminds you to back up your files to the cloud and alerts you to any action needed in your account. In addition, you can now see at a glance your cloud storage usage and which services are active and expiring soon when signed in with a Microsoft account.

As a result of these changes, some options in the profile menu are now in different places. For example, the “Switch user” option is now tucked in on a submenu, and the option to lock your computer appears in the power options menu.

In this guide, I will show you the new (and other ways) steps to lock, sign out, and switch users on Windows 11. (These design changes for the Start menu in the account manager experience also apply to Windows 10.)

Sign out of your account on Windows 11

You have at least five ways to sign out of your account using the Start menu, Windows Security Screen, Shut Down Windows dialog, Power User Menu, or Command Prompt.

1. From the Start menu

To sign out of Windows 11 from the Start menu, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Click the user profile menu.

3. Click the Sign out option in the top-right corner.

   

2. From the Windows Security Screen

To sign out using the “Ctrl + Alt + Del” shortcut, use these steps:

1. Use the  “Ctrl + Alt + Del” keyboard shortcut.

2. Choose the Sign out option.

   

3. From the Shut Down Windows dialog

To sign out of your Windows 11 account using the “Alt + F4” shortcut, use these steps:

1. Use the “Alt + F4” keyboard shortcut on the desktop.

2. Choose the Sign out option.

   

3. Click the OK button.

4. From the Power User Menu

To sign out of your account from the Start menu context menu, use these steps:

1. Right-click the Start menu.

2. Select the “Shut down or sign out” menu and choose the “Sign out” option.

   

5. From Command Prompt

To sign out of your Windows 11 account with commands, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for Command Prompt and click the top result to open the app.

3. Type the following command to sign out and press Enter:

   logoff

   

Switch user accounts on Windows 11

If you share a computer with other users, you will notice that the experience has changed in the Start menu.

1. From the Start menu

To switch user accounts on Windows 11 from the Start menu, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Click the user profile menu.

3. Click the three dots (“More options”) menu from the top-right and choose one of the other users.

   

After you complete the steps, you will be taken directly to the Sign-in screen for that other user.

2. From the Task Manager

To switch Windows 11 user accounts from Task Manager, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for Task Manager and click the top result to open the app.

   Quick tip: You can also use the “Ctrl + Shift + Esc” keyboard shortcut to access the app.

3. Click on Users.

4. (Option 1) Right-click the signed-in user and choose the Disconnect option.

5. Click the Disconnect user button to switch users.

   

6. (Option 2) Right-click the other user and choose the “Switch user account” option.

3. From the Shut Down Windows dialog

To switch users on Windows 11 from the “Alt + F4” experience, use these steps:

1. Use the “ALT + F4” keyboard shortcut on the desktop.

2. Choose the Switch user option.

   

3. Click the OK button.

4. From the Windows Security Screen

To switch users using the “Ctrl + Alt + Del” experience, use these steps:

1. Use the  “Ctrl + Alt + Del” keyboard shortcut.

2. Choose the Switch user option.

   

5. From Command Prompt

To switch users through Command Prompt, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for Command Prompt and click the top result to open the app.

3. Type the following command to switch users and press Enter:

   tsdiscon

   

Lock your account on Windows 11

The ability to lock the account has also changed on Windows 11 with the addition of the new account manager.

1. From the Start menu

To lock your computer from the Start menu, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Click the user Power menu.

3. Click the Lock option.

   

2. From the Windows Security Screen

To lock your Windows 11 account using the “Ctrl + Alt + Del” experience, use these steps:

1. Use the  “Ctrl + Alt + Del” keyboard shortcut.

2. Choose the Lock option.

   

3. From shortcut

To lock your account on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Use the “Windows key + L” keyboard shortcut to lock your PC.

From the Sign-in screen, you can also switch users from the list on the left.

Update November 11, 2025: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.