Managing Multiple Google Accounts

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This guide is meant to explain the various ways you can manage multiple Google accounts across your University and personal affiliations.  Please pay attention to the recommendations boxes to help you determine your best option for your needs.

  • Option 1 – Chrome Sync and Sign In

  • Option 2 – Use the Built in Account Switch

  • Option 3 – Use Different Browsers

 

Option 1 – Chrome Sync and Sign In

 

Recommendation – This is a great solution for users who need a separate presence for all of their accounts based on their context.  This is great for switching gears between work, school, and/or personal presences.  This is highly recommended for UConn Faculty and Staff.

Please note: This guide is based off of Manage Multiple Chrome Users from Google’s support documentation.  This has been modified for UConn’s audience.

 

  1. Click the Chrome menu Chrome menu on the browser toolbar and select Settings.

  2. Make sure that you have opted into public services at google.uconn.edu.  This is required to use chrome sync features.

  3. In the “Users” section, click Add new user.

  4. A confirmation dialog appears, choose a picture and enter a name for the new Chrome user. Note: When you add a new Chrome user a desktop shortcut is created by default. If you don’t want a desktop shortcut uncheck the “Add desktop shortcut” checkbox.

 

Creating a desktop shortcut for new users allows each Chrome user on your computer to quickly access their profile. Different profiles are easily differentiated on the desktop by the different names and pictures associated with each profile.

 

  1. Click Create.

  2. A new window for the user appears, with a picture you’ve chosen for the user in the top corner. Here, you can sign in to Chrome with your personal or primary Google account. Once signed in, all the bookmarks, apps, extensions, theme, and browser settings for the user will be synced to the account. Learn more about signing in to Chrome

  3. If you prefer, you can also choose to skip this step and not sign in. Settings for the user will be saved only on your computer instead.  You can still use this new profile to stay logged into certain Google services.

  4. Repeat steps 1-6 for your UConn Google account (firstname.lastname@uconn.edu).

 

Option 2 – Use the Built in Account Switch

 

Recommendation – This is a great solution for users who need a single application or service (e.g. Google Drive or Gmail) but don’t require separate presences.  This is only supported for the below listed Google services.  Users requiring non supported services should use Option 1.

Please note: This guide is based off of Sign in to Multiple Accounts at Once from Google support documentation.  This has been modified for UConn’s audience.

 

Tired of always signing out to switch between your accounts on your own computer? Whenever you need to switch accounts, just click the Add account button to sign in to your other account(s) and conveniently switch between them.  Note: Multiple sign-in does not merge account data, and it does not give one account access to another.

 

Sign in to additional accounts

  1. Sign in to a supported Google product (e.g. drive.google.com).

  2. Click your profile photo or email address at the top of the page.

  3. Select Add account from the drop-down menu.

Account information while signed in to one account

  1. On the page that opens, enter the email address and password for another account you wish to access(e.g. your UConn Google account), and click Sign in.

Switch between accounts

 

Once you’re signed in to more than one account in the same browser, you can easily switch accounts. Just click your profile photo or email address at the top and click on the email address you’d like to sign in to.Account information while signed in to two accounts

To easily check which account you’re signed in to, use a different profile picture for each account.

Products that do not support multiple sign-in

Some Google products and mobile versions of Google products do not support the use of multiple accounts in the same web browser. Instead, they default to the first account that you signed in to from your current browser.

 

Google Drive supports multiple sign-in, but works differently than other products.

If you want to use an account with a product that doesn’t support multiple accounts, you have two options:

  • Sign out of all your Google Accounts and then sign in to the account you want to access.

  • Option 2 – Use Chrome’s Multiple Users.

  • Option 3 – Other Options for Using multiple accounts including: Sign in to another account using a second web browser.

 

Option 3 – Other Options for Using Multiple Accounts

Visit this page to learn about Other Options for Using Multiple Accounts from Google’s support documentation.

Recommendation – These are great solutions for people who do not feel comfortable with options 1 and 2.
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