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Chrome Profile Switcher · browsers

Firefox profiles in the Mac Dock, plus Zen, LibreWolf and Waterfox

by ZwayStudiosupdated

Chrome Profile Switcher gives each Firefox profile its own icon in the Mac Dock, and the same goes for Zen, LibreWolf and Waterfox. Because each Firefox profile runs as its own process, the app always knows which window belongs to which profile. Click a profile icon and that profile’s existing windows come forward, even from another desktop or display.

Why Firefox profiles share one Dock icon

The macOS Dock shows one icon per app. Even though each Firefox profile runs as its own process, they all belong to the same Firefox app, so they stack behind one Firefox icon. Finding the window for a certain profile means clicking through windows or the Window menu.

How Chrome Profile Switcher handles Firefox

For Chrome based browsers the app reads profile names from window titles. Firefox needs a different method, and it is a better one. Every Firefox profile runs as a separate process, so Chrome Profile Switcher simply checks which process owns a window. That window belongs to the process’s profile.

The list of profiles comes from profiles.ini. Firefox keeps profiles in:

~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles

To see your profiles, type about:profiles in the Firefox address bar. That page lists each profile and lets you launch one in a new window.

Zen, LibreWolf and Waterfox are built on Firefox and are matched the same way. Firefox Developer Edition and Nightly are supported too.

With a Firefox profile icon you can:

  • Click to bring that profile’s windows forward, and click again to cycle through them.
  • Hover to see a panel of the profile’s windows, including ones on other desktops. Live previews need the optional Screen Recording permission. The “+” button opens a new window in that profile.
  • Right-click for the window list, New Window, and New Incognito Window for a private window.
  • Keep in Dock with right-click, Options, Keep in Dock.

Each icon is a tiny launcher app (about 2 MB) kept in ~/Applications/Chrome Profiles. It is not a copy of Firefox.

Set it up for Firefox

  1. Download Chrome Profile Switcher. It is free during the beta: a short form, then the DMG downloads right away.
  2. Open the app. The first time, macOS may say it cannot check the app. Open System Settings, Privacy and Security, and click Open Anyway, once.
  3. Turn on Accessibility when asked. It is the only permission the app needs.
  4. Open a window in each Firefox profile. about:profiles is the easiest place to launch a second profile.
  5. The profile icons appear in the Dock by themselves, next to the Firefox icon.

Icons leave the Dock when a profile’s last window closes. If you want them to stay, turn on the option in Settings.

Limits with Firefox

  • The profile must be running. Icons appear for profiles with an open window, unless you turn on the Settings option to keep them.
  • Command Tab. Command Tab still shows one Firefox.
  • No custom icons yet. Custom icons are on the roadmap under Later.
  • Not notarized yet. The one time Open Anyway step is needed during the beta.

Using Chrome or Brave as well? One app covers them all. See the supported browsers list or the answers page.

questions

good to know

Which Firefox based browsers are supported?

Firefox, Firefox Developer Edition, Firefox Nightly, Zen, LibreWolf and Waterfox. Each profile gets its own Dock icon with a badge for its browser.

How does the app know which Firefox window belongs to which profile?

Each Firefox profile runs as its own process, so a window belongs to the profile of the process that owns it. The app reads the list of profiles from profiles.ini.

Can two Firefox profiles have the same name?

Firefox windows are matched by process, not by window title, so the app does not rely on profile names to tell them apart. Clear names still make the icons easier to read.

Does it change my Firefox profiles?

No. It only reads the profile list and brings windows forward. Your profiles, add-ons and data stay as they are.

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