What you need to know
- A Microsoft support document now lists steps on how to switch from a Microsoft account to a local account on Windows 11.
- The support page briefly did not include the guide or information on how to switch account types.
- Microsoft pushes Microsoft accounts on Windows 11 and recommends them over local accounts.
- The process of switching from a Microsoft account to a local account has not changed; only the support document with the guide changed over the past month.
Microsoft brought back its guide on how to switch from a Microsoft account to a local account on Windows 11 recently. Last month, the tech giant updated a support page with steps on how to switch to a local account, only to then remove that guide. Microsoft has since restored the guide and added some handy advice for those who want to use a local account on Windows 11.
The official line from Microsoft is that a Microsoft account is recommended over a local account on Windows 11. “Important: Microsoft recommends using a Microsoft account, not a local account, when signing in to Windows,” reads the support document. “Using a Microsoft account in Windows allows for seamless integration of Microsoft services, enhanced security, and sync across devices, unlike a local account.”
Microsoft has pushed people toward using Microsoft accounts on Windows 11 increasingly over the past few years. It’s possible to use a local account on Windows 11, but in most cases, you need to set up a PC with a Microsoft account first and then switch to a local account. Our guide on how to set up Windows 11 without a Microsoft account includes workarounds that eliminate the need for ever creating a Microsoft account, but those have become rarer.
There used to be a bypass method that involved using a blocked email address that would allow you to set up a PC without a Microsoft account. Microsoft has since blocked that bypass. A different method requiring the use of Command Prompt still appears to work.
