Log out, power off or switch users

To let other users use your computer, you can either log out, or leave yourself logged in and just switch users. If you switch users, all of your applications will continue running, and everything will be where you left it when you log back in.

To Log Out or Switch User, click the system menu on the right side of the top bar, click the button, and select the correct option.

If you’re leaving your computer for a short time, you should lock your screen to prevent other people from accessing your files or running applications. When you return, you will see the lock screen. Enter your password to log back in. If you don’t lock your screen, it will lock automatically after a certain amount of time.

To lock your screen, click the system menu on the right side of the top bar and click the button.

When your screen is locked, other users can log in to their own accounts by clicking Log in as another user at the bottom right of the login screen. You can switch back to your desktop when they are finished.

To save power, suspend your computer when you are not using it. If you use a laptop, the system, by default, suspends your computer automatically when you close the lid. This saves your state to your computer’s memory and powers off most of the computer’s functions. A very small amount of power is still used during suspend.

To suspend your computer manually, click the system menu on the right side of the top bar, click the button, and select Suspend.

If you want to power off your computer entirely, or do a full restart, click the system menu on the right side of the top bar, click the button, and select either Restart… or Power Off….

If there are other users logged in, you may not be allowed to power off or restart the computer because this will end their sessions. If you are an administrative user, you may be asked for your password to power off.