How to use browser profiles in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge

Most of them trying to manage multiple logins browser tabs, and not just multiple websites or services, but also for work, home life, our hobbies, and many other accounts. And, for sure, although you can keep dozens of tabs open or multiple windows open for each purpose, consider one feature that can be helpful in your browser: user profiles.

Think of the different identities you can change from one profile to another. They collect all the usual browsing data (passwords, bookmarks, your browsing history) and store them in separate containers. Perhaps the most obvious way to use them is to have something for work and for yourself, but there are other uses as well.

If multiple people in the home share a computer, profiles are a good way to differentiate everyone’s browsing. But considering how easy it is to switch from one profile to another, it’s probably a better idea to use separate Windows or macOS accounts if you want privacy or security there. But nothing remains you from using multiple profiles to keeping things organized.

Here’s how to get profiles to work with Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox. Still, the feature is not available in Apple’s Safari.

Google Chrome

To add a new profile to Chrome, click the profile icon in the top right corner; it will depend on how your browser is set up (it will show the current avatar of your Google Account if you sign in), but it is to the left of the three dots that lead to the main Google Chrome menu.

Click Add to begin the process of creating a new profile: You will be prompted to name the new profile, and you will need to select a photo from the gallery provided. You’ll get a brand new Chrome window with no history, bookmarks, or anything else. It’s the first time you’ve installed Google Chrome.

You do not need to link a Google Account to this profile, but you can do so if you wish: Press the profile button again (top right) and select Turn on sync. After signing in to your account, you can get passwords, browsing history, and other data associated with this Google Account. If you do not log in, this data will be stored locally.