Xbox series X won’t let me add a user.

Hello, and thanks for getting in touch. I'm Aileen, and I'm here to provide you with advice as an Independent Advisor.

I understand that your Xbox Series X won’t let you add any new users — even after a full factory reset. You’ve confirmed the network is working by downloading apps like Netflix, but every time you try to add a profile, it loads briefly and then kicks you back to the Home screen. That definitely sounds like a frustrating issue, especially since it’s happening on a clean reset.

Here are a few steps you can try that are safe and often resolve this exact issue:

1. Check system updates manually

Even if the console seems up to date, this problem sometimes happens when a background system update is incomplete.

Press the Xbox button, go to Settings > System > Updates

Select “Update console” if available

If no update is available, choose “Keep my console up to date” to ensure automatic downloads are enabled

2. Switch to an offline profile temporarily

Since it’s getting stuck on the add-user screen, try this method:

Go to Settings > Network > Network settings

Select Go offline

Now try Add new from the profile picker screen

Once a user is added, reconnect to the internet

This has worked for others where a network handshake was blocking user creation.

3. Clear persistent storage

Sometimes old system data interferes with user logins even after a reset.

Go to Settings > Devices & connections > Blu-ray > Persistent storage

Select Clear persistent storage

Restart the console and try again

4. Power cycle the console

To make sure nothing is cached in memory:

Hold the Xbox power button on the console for 10 seconds until it turns off

Unplug the power cord for 2 minutes

Plug it back in and turn it on, then try adding the user again

If it still doesn’t work after these steps, let me know whether you're adding a new user manually or trying to sign in with an existing Microsoft account. I’ll guide you from there.

It won’t let me click on the reset option or even use the restart option for anything. It will only allow me to uninstall the games directly. The game is the digital copy purchased from the Xbox store on the Xbox series x.

What did you do to fix it?

Tried this still same problem

That's totally fine. Kindly perform an extended powercycle and reset your network hardware by following the steps below:

" 1. Unplug the power cable from the back of the router, modem, or gateway for 5 minutes. If you have a router and a modem, unplug the power cable from both devices.

2. Press and hold the Xbox button on your console for 10 seconds or until it turns off then wait for 2 minutes before turning it on again.

3. After 5 minutes, plug the modem or gateway in first, and wait for all the lights to return to their normal state.

4. If you are using a router, plug in the router and wait for all the lights to return to their normal state."