Chrome profiles let you sign in to multiple Google accounts on one computer without signing out and back in. Each profile keeps its own bookmarks, history, passwords, and extensions, so personal and work accounts stay separate.
Open Chrome, click the Profile icon, choose Add Chrome profile, then sign in with the Google account you want. You can switch profiles any time or open a Guest profile for a clean, no-data window.
In this guide, I have covered:
Contents
Add a Chrome profile to use multiple Google accounts
Tired of signing out and back in to switch Google accounts in Chrome? Set up a separate Chrome profile for each account. Every profile gets its own signed-in account, bookmarks, history, passwords, extensions, and theme. Chrome doesn’t cap the number of profiles you can add. You can also create a profile without a Google sign-in if you just want a local-only profile.
- Open Google Chrome on your computer.
- Click the Profile icon in the top-right corner of the window (it sits just left of the More menu and shows your current avatar or initials).
- Click Add Chrome profile.
Chrome opens the "Set up your Chrome profile" window. - Click .
- Sign in with the other Google Workspace or Gmail account, then complete any on-screen prompts (for example, 2-step verification).
- When Chrome asks whether to link your data, click .
Chrome opens a new browser window for that profile. Pick a name and an avatar color in that first window, or change them later.
Rename or recolor a profile
Have two profiles that look too similar? Rename one or change its color so you can tell them apart instantly. The fastest shortcut is the Customize profile entry in the Profile menu.
- Click the Profile icon in the top-right corner of the Chrome window.
- Choose Customize profile.
- Pick a new avatar color, type a new name, and Chrome saves the change automatically.
For a fuller view of every profile on this computer (rename, recolor, and remove options in one place), open the same profile menu and pick Other Chrome profiles, then Manage Chrome profiles.
Switch between Chrome profiles
Need to jump between your work and personal Google accounts? Switching profiles takes one click. Each profile keeps its own open windows, so switching will not interrupt what is running in your other profiles.
- Click the Profile icon in the top-right corner of the Chrome window.
- Choose the profile you want to switch to from the list.
For more detail on how windows stay tied to their profile, see our full guide on switching between Chrome user profiles.
Open a Guest profile for one-time browsing
Need to lend Chrome to someone without giving them access to your signed-in accounts, history, or bookmarks? Guest profile opens a clean window with no profile data and nothing ties back to your signed-in profiles.
- Click the Profile icon in the top-right corner of the Chrome window.
- Click Guest profile.
Anything done in Guest profile is wiped from the computer the moment you close that Guest window. To leave Guest and return to your own profile, click the Profile icon again and choose Close guest.
Turn off the “Show on startup” profile picker
Does Chrome ask which profile to open every time you launch it? If you always use the same account, you can turn that picker off in two steps.
- Click the Profile icon in the top-right corner and choose Other Chrome profiles.
- On the profile picker screen, uncheck the Show on startup box.
Chrome will go straight to your last-used profile the next time you open it. To bring the picker back, reopen the picker and turn the option back on. For step-by-step screenshots, see our guide on how to disable the profiles screen on Google Chrome startup.
Bottom line
One Chrome profile per Google account is the cleanest way to keep personal, work, and shared accounts separated in the same browser. Add a profile, sign in once, and switch with a single click. Use Guest profile for throwaway browsing on a shared computer, and hide “Show on startup” if the picker gets in the way.
Each profile keeps its own cookies, cache, and site permissions, so clearing or refreshing one profile (for example, to log out of a site everywhere) does not touch your other Chrome profiles.
