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Chrome Profile Switcher · browsers

Opera and Opera GX profiles in the Mac Dock: what works today

by ZwayStudiosupdated

Chrome Profile Switcher supports Opera and Opera GX, with one honest limit. When the browser has a single profile, its Dock icon works fully: click to bring its windows forward, even from another desktop or display. When it has several profiles, the app cannot yet tell their windows apart, and that is on the roadmap.

Why Opera profiles share one Dock icon

The macOS Dock shows one icon per running app. Opera is one app and Opera GX is another, so every profile inside either one sits behind that browser’s single icon. If you keep separate profiles for work and personal use, the Dock gives you no way to jump straight to one of them.

How Chrome Profile Switcher handles Opera and Opera GX

For Chrome, Brave, Edge and Vivaldi, the app matches windows by reading the profile name at the end of each window title. Opera and Opera GX do not show the profile name in their window titles, so the app needs another way.

What works today:

  • One profile. Every window belongs to that profile, so the icon is fully reliable. Click to bring the windows forward and click again to cycle. Hover for a panel of its windows, including ones on other desktops. Right-click for the window list, New Window and New Incognito Window.
  • Several profiles. The app cannot yet say which window belongs to which profile, so it cannot give each one a correct icon.

Better matching for Opera, Arc and Dia with several profiles is listed under Now on the public roadmap. The same limit applies to Arc.

Each icon is a tiny launcher app (about 2 MB) kept in ~/Applications/Chrome Profiles. It is not a copy of Opera, so logins and extensions stay as they are, and no second browser runs in memory.

Set it up for Opera or Opera GX

  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. That is the one switch the app needs.
  4. Open a window in Opera or Opera GX.
  5. The icon with its browser badge appears in the Dock next to the browser’s normal icon. Keep it there with right-click, Options, Keep in Dock.

Limits with Opera and Opera GX

  • Several profiles are not told apart yet. This is the main limit, and it is on the roadmap under Now.
  • Command Tab. Command Tab still shows one Opera.
  • Not notarized yet. During the beta you need the one time Open Anyway step. Notarization is planned for when the app leaves beta.

If you use several Opera profiles today

  • Use the app for your other browsers in the meantime. Chrome, Brave, Edge and Vivaldi profiles are matched by title, and Firefox based browsers by process. See all supported browsers.
  • Follow the changelog for the matching update.
  • Send a feature request from the roadmap page so we can see how many Opera users are waiting.

Questions about permissions, privacy or updates are covered on the answers page.

questions

good to know

Does Chrome Profile Switcher work with Opera and Opera GX?

Yes, with one limit. When Opera or Opera GX has a single profile, its Dock icon brings the browser's windows forward and cycles through them. With several profiles, the app cannot yet tell which window belongs to which profile.

Why are several Opera profiles not told apart?

Opera and Opera GX do not show the profile name in window titles, which is how the app matches windows for Chrome, Brave and Edge. Without it, there is nothing reliable to match on when several profiles are open.

Is better Opera support planned?

Yes. Better matching for Opera, Arc and Dia with several profiles is listed under Now on the public roadmap. The app installs updates by itself, so you will get it without a new download.

Can I use Opera and Opera GX at the same time?

Yes. They are separate browsers, so each gets its own icon with its own badge. Each one works fully as long as it has a single profile.

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