How to Securely Delete a User Account on a Mac

The method we will cover will remove any type of account, be it administrator, basic account or even a group. It’s important to remember that by removing the user the account owner will no longer be able log in and that their files will be deleted unless you choose otherwise, so pay attention to the options macOS gives you when proceeding with secure removal.

How to delete user accounts

Creating a backup of the Mac before deleting the user is extremely helpful to allow you to restore it – and with it the user account – if you change your mind later on. When ready, follow the steps described below.

Don’t forget that although the user account requires a password when you create it, administrator privileges override this protection and provide you with the option to remove any user without the need for the account password.

Free up disk space by removing the home folder

Removing a user will also free up some space on the Mac, so if you are running out of storage it’s recommended to remove any user accounts you don’t need. Keeping the home folder, however, will still burden the Mac’s disk space, so if you are trying to save space then it is recommended that you remove it.

The Time Machine backup before the removal process will make file recovery easier, but if you are looking to speed your Mac up then you’re making the right choice about freeing up space. A Mac needs roughly 20% of total storage free for optimal performance.

If the available disk space is lower than that, users will notice performance lags immediately. Running a Mac optimization app such as CleanMyMac will give a performance boost by eliminating all the junk data that users leave behind, so having this utility at hand is always welcome.