Disable guest login

It’s installed by default by macOS. You can remove it in System Preferences > Users & Groups.

Note that this User Account is severely limited and has no access to any data or files in other accounts. Guests can’t even save documents created on that account. It is perfectly safe to let others use it.

I have been experiencing the same things. I brought my computer into an Apple-authorized service center and just found out that the issue seems to be with FileVault. With FileVault turned on, the extra guest users appear. I always have FileVault on but it has only been during the past week that the third guest user (the ghost user) appeared. I turned off the Guest User option in System Preferences, but this didn’t do anything for me either. I brought my MacBook Pro in because I thought the extra users were an indication of a virus or some other attempt to connect with my computer. It appears my computer is clean and Malwarebytes isn’t finding anything either.

I've also disabled Guest login but get TWO guest login icons on startup - one normal, the other a degraded "ghost" image of Guest from some unknown realm. It's remained after two full reinstalls.

On High Sierra betas I was able to remove them by rebooting in Recovery and terminal inputting: "sudo dscl . delete /Users/Guest" but it doesn't work with the final release (maybe because I've encrypted it?). If I just logout and back in, there are no options for Guest, as per my preferences but they're always there when I boot up.

MacOS is inherently a Multi-User system. Each user is strongly protected from every her User. It is not just a "profile" but a complete User space with no access to files of other users.

Many Owners have the feeling that somehow a second user comes in on top of what they have already set up. Nothing could be further from the truth. A new User gets a completely different space with their own Desktop, their own Documents folder, their own everything. Try creating a new User and logging in and you will quickly see. Everything is as if the computer were new.

There is no risk to you to leave the Guest User enabled. The Guest User gets no access to anything except their OWN copy of Safari, no files of any other User, and when they log off all the files they created are deleted.

No one is complaining about a Guest User, it's about an icon (or in my case icons) that still appear on the desktop when Guest User is disabled, which requires one more move to select the login name and then put in the password, which isn't required when the Mac is working correctly. The question is, why are there still Guest icons on the startup screen when the option is disabled. And after two reinstallations and disabling Guest, I still have not only a regular Guest option but also a degraded (crummy garbled graphics) one. So there are three choices on the screen when there should be only one.

On logout/login it all works as it should, but not on boot.

Hello,

I am having the same issue, to explain - the first time I set up my Mac (just purchased in October 17), the Guest Login was enabled so I disabled it via System Preferences, now it still appears on my login screen but with blurry graphics even though it is disabled.

If I attempt to re-enable the Guest Login, three users appear (myself, the ghost Guest and the enabled Guest), disabling again still leaves the blurry ghost Guest Login.

Is there any way to fix this without having to completely restart the laptop?

Thank you!

I’m having the same problem I noticed a strange pixelation in the icon yesterday today I’m stuck on the guest screen at start up it allows me to try to put in a password that was never set by meI realize that this is probably a security measures of that a would be thief Comes to the screen and then it connects to a network and is able to be located.That really doesn’t help me very much because the only options I’ve got Are To start in safe mode or start and get stuck at the guest screen I have the feeling this is something to do with back to my Mac because the last time I had this problem was the last time I had my laptop open about a month ago I reformatted and reinstalled Sierra and then High Sierra on a 2015 Mac book now one month later the same exact problem occurs that happened a month ago when I had to do the same procedure to my iMac 27 inch I would love to hear an answer to this because basically get a $2000 computer sitting here holding down the desk and that’s about all it’s worth right now and a project that is due now becoming the Internet all morning on my phone to no avail. ALSO when I put in the Command string listed above to remove the user Command string listed above to remove the user guest He says that that command does not exist ....yes I spelled it right.

What if you cant even login? I installed on an external drive just to prevent any glitches and Im glad I did as it comes up with an unusable guest login and wont even get past that stage so I cant turn it off in system preferences! Ive seen guest logins mentioned in some posts but so far none deal with just not getting past the login or how to rectify it?

Someone please advise.

I have this issue also. I remove it and disable guest access and it just reappears the next time I reboot. Sometimes there are multiple guest choices on logon screen.

I also have this issue. I would prefer not formatting my machine and reinstalling everything. Is there another solution?

The guest user has no access to any of your files, which stay encrypted unless/until the encryption password is entered.

There is no additional risk to your computer by having this user showing.