I can not reproduce this. How I tested:

1. created user (user1) with these permissions (see screenshot)
2. created user group with user1 and user2 called "testing"
3. logged in as user1 and created survey
4. went to survey permissions and added user2

Screenshot 2025-02-13 at 14.10.13.png (58,029 bytes)   

Screenshot 2025-02-13 at 14.10.13.png (58,029 bytes)   

@tibor.pacalat: I left out your 2nd step and have NOT created an additional user group. The new user was still within the default user group.

For me it failed at your 4th step, I am not able to see other users, see screenshot.

image.png (82,721 bytes)   

image.png (82,721 bytes)   

I think it's already reported : and it's not really an issue.
Related to user group : see all don't mean see all if you separate by user group

Must find history …

I don't know if this is really an issue. I think this is by design that it doesn't work for default group for security reasons.

Well, if I am assigning global permissions to see all users, I'd expect the user to be able to see all users ...!?

@DenisChenu can you please take a deeper dive into this issue? Thanks!

I'm OK with Mazi, but it's still related to Group member can only see own group

Group member can only see own group : to OFF, such user can see all user.

I don't have solution without potential broke some instance where some company hosts different user type …

08959: Survey permissions > User gives empty list for non-admin user https://bugs.limesurvey.org/view.php?id=8959

From 2.05+

Except the code (i do what you want) what is the desired behaviour with/without "Group member can only see own group" on each list

Ok, since we have an option for it, can I close this ticket?

Like you want ( I just think this 2 settings are complex in usage)

@tibor.pacalat, after testing this with the latest 6.17.16 version I am re-opening the ticket. I checked the other tickets marked as "related to" which have been fixed and also 18289 which actually addresses a different issue ("User with group creation allowed can not see is own group").
In this case, we are only talking abut the defualt user group, no manually created groups and the problem can be reproduced easily:

1. Create a test user with global permission for creating surveys and ALL permissions for "users" and "user groups".
2. Log in as that user and create a survey.
3. Go to the survey permissions to add another user to the survey
   -> Though there are many more users within the default user group, you do not see any user you could assign permissions to though you have full global permissions for viewing users.

@tibor.pacalat, can you have another look?
Thanks!

@Mazi : what is the options set at "Group member can only see own group"

See manual

Group member can only see own group: By default, non-admin users defined in the LimeSurvey management interface will only be able to see other users if they belong to at least one common group. If the administrator sets this to 'No', then the users can see all the users defined in the LimeSurvey User Control panel, regardless of the group they belong to

@DenisChenu: But "One common group" does NOT include the group "Default" to which all users belong if they have not been assigned to a different group!?

There are no "Default" user groups.
By default, users don't have any group.

So technically one would have to put them all into the same group and then this should work as expected?!

No !

Just set Group member can only see own group to Off.

With the current situation: you can have 3 clients on same instance with user1@client1.example.org and user2@client1.example.com in group client1 seeing all user's i this group.
And same for client2 , client3 etc ....

Capture d’écran du 2026-09-24 13-01-08.png (8,957 bytes)   

Capture d’écran du 2026-09-24 13-01-08.png (8,957 bytes)   

I was referring to my scenario outlined at https://bugs.limesurvey.org/view.php?id=19961#c85484.
The step which is missing there seems to be "Make sure all users are assigned to a survey group". Because at my tests, no user groups existed yet.

1. Set Group member can only see own group to Off.
2. Create a test user with global permission for creating surveys and ALL permissions for "users" and "user groups".
3. Log in as that user and create a survey.
4. Go to the survey permissions to add another user to the survey
   -> This user sees all users of the instance ...

Did you test?

If you remove the Group member can only see own group then a great feature disappears.

Sure, I had tested this. I created a user with the mentioned permissions, see screenshot. Then I logged in as that user and created a survey.
When then trying to assign other users (there are many) and permissions to the survey, I see no user at all, see second screenshot

image-3.png (45,095 bytes)   

image-3.png (45,095 bytes)   

Only when disabling the "Group member can only see own group" feature, users show up.
Thus, my conclusion is that "Group member can only see own group" over-rules the global user permissions I had set to allow the test user to see all users and user groups.
Can you confirm?

Only when disabling the "Group member can only see own group" feature, users show up.

Desired behavior

Thus, my conclusion is that "Group member can only see own group" over-rules the global user permissions

Partially

I had set to allow the test user to see all users and user groups.

Yes, set Group member can only see own group to OFF

Maybe :

1. Must review manual text.
2. Must add an help in GUI