What you need to know
- Microsoft used to have a guide on how to switch between a Microsoft account and a local account in Windows 11.
- Several media outlets covered the guide, and many criticized Microsoft’s push for people to use Microsoft accounts in Windows 11.
- Microsoft has since removed the guide outlining the steps to switch to a local account.
- It is still possible to switch from a Microsoft account to a local account, there just isn’t a guide for it from Microsoft.
Earlier this month, Microsoft shared a guide on how to switch from a local account to a Microsoft account in Windows 11. This piece garnered attention across the web because it also listed how to switch from a Microsoft account to a local account. I went so far as to say that Microsoft accidentally listed the benefits of not using a Microsoft account in Windows 11. Maybe somehow Redmond missed my part and the other coverage, because the support page no longer describes the steps to switch from a Microsoft account to a local account.
Of course, I wasn’t the only journalist to cover the updated support page when it first appeared. As far as I can tell, Neowin was the first to notice the site and write about it. Then I covered the news, as did several other media outlets. Microsoft’s page for changing the type of account you use remains open, but it no longer lists the steps to switch from a Microsoft account to a local account. The Wayback Machine archived the page before the change.
In addition to removing the guide on how to change the type of account you use on your computer, Microsoft removed the list of differences between a local account and a Microsoft account. The site previously said:
- A local account is created on the device and does not require an internet connection to log in. It is independent from other services and is not connected to the cloud. Your settings, files, and apps are limited to that single device
- A Microsoft account, on the other hand, is associated with an email address and password you use with Outlook.com, Hotmail, Office, OneDrive, Skype, Xbox, and Windows. When you sign in to your computer with a Microsoft account, you’re connected to a Microsoft cloud service, and your settings and files can be synced across devices. You can also use it to access other Microsoft services
I argued that they look like benefits, not drawbacks. It’s possible to sign in to your computer without an internet connection if you’ve already set up your computer, but the initial out-of-the-box experience requires an internet connection. You can then switch to a local account later. Many argue that Microsoft should add a clear and obvious way to use a local account during the out-of-the-box experience.
There are solutions that allow you to set up a computer without a Microsoft account, but even that has become more difficult.
It looks like Microsoft has blocked the bypass that allowed you to create a local account during Windows 11 setup by typing in a blocked email address. Now it just sends you back to write to another account đ pic.twitter.com/mKnHToLLQVJune 3, 2024
So did Microsoft remove its guide on how to switch from a Microsoft account to a local account due to media pressure? This is impossible to say. But let me outline a timeline of events:
- June 12, 2024: Microsoft updated a support document that describes how to switch from a Microsoft account to a local account.
- June 13, 2024: Several media outlets covered the guide that appeared on Microsoft’s website.
- June 17, 2024: Microsoft had removed its guide on how to switch from a Microsoft account to a local account.
Regardless of the reason for removing the guide, the process of switching to a local account in Windows 11 has not changed:
- pill Windows 11 Settings app.
- Select calculation (by clicking your profile picture).
- Select Your information.
- Select “Sign in with a local account in the country” (under Account Settings).
Windows 11 will then guide you through the process of switching to a local account on your PC.