How to Hide Email Address From the Sign-In Screen on Windows 11

Quick fix: Open Settings → Accounts → Sign-in options. Find Show account details such as my email address on the sign-in screen. Toggle Off. Sign out. Sign-in screen now shows generic prompt without email. To require both username + password: enable Group Policy Interactive logon: Don’t display last signed-in.

Microsoft account email shows on the Windows 11 sign-in screen by default. For privacy / shared environments, hide it. Built-in toggle in Settings handles the common case; Group Policy for stricter control.

What causes this

Windows 11 shows the user’s account name (typically email for Microsoft accounts) on the sign-in screen for convenience. Privacy concerns:

• Anyone glancing at the screen sees your email.
• Shared / public PCs leak which Microsoft account is on the device.
• Screen recording / streaming reveals account info.
• Corporate compliance may require username hiding.

Method 1: Toggle off email display in Settings

The standard route.

1. Open Settings → Accounts → Sign-in options.
2. Scroll to Additional settings.
3. Find Show account details such as my email address on the sign-in screen.
4. Toggle Off.
5. Sign out and sign back in.
6. Sign-in screen now shows only your username (display name), not email.
7. For full hide: also enable Method 2 to remove the username display entirely.

This is the quick fix.

Method 2: Enforce hidden via Group Policy

For Pro/Enterprise.

1. Open Group Policy Editor: gpedit.msc.
2. Navigate: Computer Configuration → Windows Settings → Security Settings → Local Policies → Security Options.
3. Find Interactive logon: Don’t display last signed-in. Set to Enabled.
4. Also: Interactive logon: Don’t display username at sign-in. Set to Enabled.
5. Apply.
6. Open Admin Command Prompt: gpupdate /force.
7. Sign out. Sign-in screen now shows generic Username + Password prompts.
8. For domain accounts: enter as DOMAIN\username.
9. For Home edition: registry equivalent:

   HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
   DWORD: dontdisplaylastusername = 1
   DWORD: DontDisplayLockedUserId = 3

10. Reboot.

This is the enforced route.

Method 3: Switch to local account for maximum hiding

For complete privacy.

1. Settings → Accounts → Your info.
2. Click Sign in with a local account instead.
3. Confirm Microsoft account password.
4. Create local username (anything, not email format).
5. Sign out.
6. Sign-in screen shows your local username. No email anywhere.
7. Settings → Accounts shows username, no email.
8. Caveat: lose Microsoft account benefits: cloud sync, app store license, settings backup.
9. For partial: use local account for Windows; sign in to Microsoft Store / Office / OneDrive separately when needed.
10. For chronic privacy: local accounts are simpler.

This is the strongest privacy.

How to verify the fix worked

• Sign out. Lock screen shows generic prompt (or just username, no email).
• No email visible.
• For Group Policy: gpresult /h C:\report.html shows policies applied.
• For local account: Settings → Accounts shows username only.

If none of these work

If email still shows: Multi-user PC: each user has separate Sign-in options. Configure for each user. For Windows Hello prompt: shows your account hint. Switch to PIN-only or hide via DontDisplayLockedUserId. For domain joined PCs: domain policy may force display. Contact IT. For Microsoft account vs work account: work account may show different format. For Windows Hello face recognition: shows your face after recognition; not email per se. For accessibility tools: Narrator may speak email aloud. Adjust Narrator settings. For Insider builds: settings may be in different location. Check current build documentation.

Bottom line: Settings → Accounts → Sign-in options → toggle off “Show account details such as my email address.” Combine with Group Policy “Don’t display last signed-in” for full hide. Local account for maximum privacy.