How to use two Gmail accounts on one Mac without signing out

You can use two or more Gmail or Google Workspace accounts on one Mac without ever signing out. The quick way is Google’s own “Add another account”, which keeps several accounts signed in inside one browser. The more reliable way is to give each account its own Chrome profile, so each one has its own windows, cookies and defaults, and then give each profile its own Dock icon so switching takes one click.

Option 1: several accounts in one browser (Google multi-login)

Google lets you stay signed in to more than one account in the same browser:

1. Open Gmail.
2. Click your profile picture at the top right.
3. Choose Add another account and sign in.

Now the same menu lets you switch between accounts, and you can open each inbox in its own tab.

Where it gets awkward

Multi-login works, but it has quirks that show up once you use it every day:

• The first account is the default. The account you signed in to first becomes account number 0. In web addresses it shows up as /u/0/, the second as /u/1/, and so on. Many Google pages and links open in account 0 unless the link says otherwise.
• Links go to the wrong account. A Google Docs or Calendar link sent to your work address may open in your personal account, and you get a “You need access” page. You then have to switch accounts or edit /u/0/ to /u/1/ in the address.
• Numbers can change. If you sign out and back in, the order can change, so a bookmark to /u/1/ may suddenly open a different inbox.
• Signing out is all or nothing. Signing out from the account menu signs you out of every account in that browser.
• Everything else is shared. Bookmarks, history, extensions and saved passwords are the same for all accounts, so work and personal browsing mix together.

Fine for an account you check now and then, but tiring for two you use all day.

Option 2: one Chrome profile per account (recommended)

A Chrome profile is a separate space inside Chrome with its own cookies, sign-ins, bookmarks, history and extensions. If each Gmail or Workspace account lives in its own profile, each one is always account 0 in its own profile, so links and defaults behave as expected.

To set it up:

1. Click the profile (avatar) button at the top right of a Chrome window.
2. Choose to add a new profile.
3. Sign in with the second Google account, or continue without syncing and just sign in to Gmail in that profile.
4. Give the profile a clear name and colour, such as “Work”.

Repeat for each extra account. Each profile opens in its own windows, and the profile’s name appears in those windows so you can tell them apart. Google Workspace accounts work the same way as personal Gmail accounts here.

What you gain:

• Each account is the default in its own profile, so no more /u/1/ juggling.
• Work extensions, bookmarks and history stay out of your personal profile, and the other way round.
• Signing out of one account does not touch the others.
• It still runs as one Chrome app, so it uses less memory than running separate copies of the browser.

If you are deciding between profiles and separate browser copies, Chrome profiles vs separate Chrome copies covers the trade-offs. There is also a longer guide for the work and personal setup.

The catch: switching between profiles on a Mac

Profiles fix the account mix-ups, but they add a new annoyance on a Mac. The Dock shows one icon per running app, so all your profiles share one Chrome icon. Clicking it brings forward whichever Chrome window was last in front, which may be the wrong account. Chrome’s own profile menu and ⌘⇧M open a window in the chosen profile rather than taking you back to the one you had. Our guide on switching Chrome profiles quickly on a Mac walks through every built-in option.

Links from other apps are a second catch. A link clicked in Slack or Mail usually opens in the Chrome profile you used most recently, which may not be the account it was meant for. See why Chrome opens the wrong profile on a Mac and how to open links in a specific Chrome profile.

Make switching one click with per-profile Dock icons

Chrome Profile Switcher is a small menu bar app from ZwayStudios that gives each Chrome profile its own Dock icon, showing that profile’s picture and a small Chrome badge. With a profile per Gmail account, that means one icon per inbox.

• Click the Work icon and your work profile’s existing windows come forward. A new window only opens if that profile has none.
• Click again to cycle through that profile’s windows, even on other desktops or displays.
• Hover the icon to see live previews of that profile’s windows and click the one you want.
• Right-click for New Window or New Incognito Window in that profile.

Apple’s Dock stays as it is, and there is no second copy of Chrome: the same browser keeps running with the same logins and extensions. Icons appear for each profile with an open window, and you can keep them in the Dock with right-click, Options, Keep in Dock.

It also works with Brave, Edge and other browsers, is free during the beta, and needs macOS 14 or later. Download it here.

Questions

Can I have two Gmail accounts open at the same time on a Mac? Yes. Add the second account with “Add another account” in Gmail, or better, sign in to each account in its own Chrome profile.

Why do Google links open in the wrong Gmail account? With multi-login, the first account you signed in to is the default (/u/0/), and many links open there. Separate profiles avoid this because each account is the default in its own profile.

Does this work with Google Workspace accounts? Yes. A Workspace account can have its own Chrome profile just like a personal Gmail account.

Do I need a separate copy of Chrome for each account? No. Profiles run inside one Chrome, and Chrome Profile Switcher gives each one its own Dock icon without copying the browser.