How to Switch Between Chrome User Profiles

If we talk about some plausible reasons for Chrome’s rise to the top, its handy cross-device support has often been well-documented. However, another pretty nifty feature that doesn’t always appreciate what it rightly deserves is its support for multiple user profiles.

The Profile feature allows you to create standalone user profiles corresponding to different Google accounts for the unaware. You could create one for official purposes, the other for your interests, etc.

Along the same lines, this feature also comes in handy in professional workspaces.

For example, you could create separate profiles for all your colleagues on a single PC. The best part about this feature is that all your data would remain encapsulated within your profile.

Hence, your saved passwords, bookmarks, favorites, and browser settings would be non-conflicting, i.e., they wouldn’t interact with the other profiles.

However, there’s doubt about switching between these profiles in the Chrome browser. If you are also on the same page, this guide shall help you.

You could easily switch between Chrome profiles through three different methods.

Profile Selector Menu at Startup

After a recent Chrome update, the browser appears on the profile selector screen every time you open the browser. This makes it easy to switch between Chrome profiles- all you have to do is click on the desired profile, and that’s it.

However, some users didn’t appreciate Chrome’s approach of showing the profile selection menu at every boot-up. As a result, they have already disabled the Chrome profiles. You should check out the other two methods below if you have also done the same.

Profile Menu

It is a traditional method that has existed since this feature’s inception. Every new profile is automatically added under the Profile avatar icon, and we can click and choose the desired profile.

Here are the steps to switch user accounts:

1. Launch the Chrome browser on the computer.
2. Click on your profile avatar at the top right, next to the address bar.
   It will open the profile pop-up screen on the browser.
   
3. Select the desired profile under the Other Profile section.

That’s it. The selected profile will be activated, and the older profile will be hidden in the background. You can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Tab on Windows OS or Cmd + ` on Mac to switch between active profile windows.

Desktop Shortcut

Note: desktop shortcut option is available only on Windows PC.

Both the methods we discussed require you to open Chrome and then select the profile of your choice. However, a shorter approach also exists- you could directly launch Chrome signed-in with the profile of your choice.

Here are the steps to do:

1. Launch the Chrome browser on Windows PC.
2. Bring up the Profile selection using Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + M shortcut.
3. Select the desired profile from the available list.
   
4. Now copy-paste the below location in the address bar and hit Enter on the keyboard.

   chrome://settings/manageProfile

   It shall open the Manage Profile page.

5. Enable the toggle next to Create desktop shortcut option.
   

A Chrome profile shortcut will now be created on your Desktop, having a small badge of your Google account profile image.

Now anytime you launch Chrome using this shortcut, it will automatically be logged in with the associated Google account.

Moreover, you may create shortcuts for all the user profiles on your browser. Each will have its badge and name as its distinctive identity.

Bottom Line

So with this, we round off the guide on switching between profiles in Chrome. As you might have noticed, each of these approaches has its own set of perks and downsides.

But the third approach of the desktop shortcut stands as my favorite as it cuts down on the additional step of manually selecting the profile. But, it’s limited only to Windows PC users.

However, Mac OS users have a dedicated Profiles menu on the menubar that allows a quick switch between available profiles.

What are your views on the ability to manage and switch multiple user profiles in Chrome? Do share your valuable opinions with us in the comments section below.

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