How to manage multiple Google accounts with Chrome profiles

Many of us have multiple Google accounts: a umn account and a personal one, at least, and for many of us, there are more! 

There are a few ways you can use multiple Google logins, but one of these ways is better than the others!

First, what is not recommended

Google suite gives you a handy "Add account" option under your account settings, found near the "waffle" menu on any Google tool. After you add the account, it opens up in another tab of your browser. This is how most of us added second, third, etc. accounts when we first started using Google.

We do not recommend doing it this way! Why?

Have you click on a shared link and been given the error that you don’t have permission? This is because it’s trying to open with the wrong account. Sometimes you are asked which account to use, but sometimes not, and in that case, if Google guesses the wrong account, you have a big problem. 

Also you don't get the added convenience of accurately saved passwords, bookmarks, and Chrome Extensions.

What we recommend is to stop using this method and begin using Chrome profiles to manage your accounts.

Recommended method: Chrome profiles!

If you add your other Google account as a second profile in Chrome, you will have a great experience and the only difference is it will open a new window rather than a tab. Your accounts will be kept separate, including bookmarks, passwords, history, and cookies.

How to move to Chrome profiles

First, if you have previously added accounts under your Google account, clean them up. 

1. Sign out of all of your Google Accounts.  

   

   
   
2. At the bottom of the sign-in prompt, click “Remove an account"
   
3. Click on the X to remove each account (Repeat steps as necessary to remove all of the accounts listed.)
4. Close all browser windows, and then open one (we are starting fresh here!)
5. Sign in to Chrome with your primary UMN account.

Add a Chrome profile for another account

1. Click on your account icon image (circle) in the upper right of the Chrome browser window.
2.  Select "Add Chrome Profile" and sign in to the account.

Switch between accounts

You will now use this circle account icon to switch between accounts.

Be sure you are only logging into ONE Google account PER PROFILE. Otherwise you're back to the mess situation of mixing account information.

So if you do this right, you might end up with several Chrome windows open at the same time. That's ok! Windows even helps you find the right one with different little icons in the taskbar.

This may sound complicated to do, but it's really easy once you have it cleaned up and set up! 

This post is an updated version of a previously published article by Amy Baker.